HetaVoice!
by HetaWriter - HetaReader
Summary: Welcome to HetaVoice! A singing competition like no other - four Judges pit against each other to find THE HetaVoice amongst many contenders. However, in order to get through, one must impress them while their backs are towards them. Human AU, contains Nyotalia, rated T for swearing, some innuendo and maybe a bit of romance later?
1. Opening: Dracul Kicks Us Off!

**Opening – Dracul Kicks Us Off!**

There were two trees standing proudly as the sun glinted off their bright green leaves, obscuring the image of what was behind them due to their thick branches. Standing before the two proud trees was a Romanian man with shaggy strawberry blonde hair and red eyes; a fang also protruding from the right side of his mouth. He was wearing a black trench coat with red trimming and a little top hat of the same colour scheme. He turned around and grinned right at the viewer.

"Hey there everybody and welcome to HetaVoice!" the Romanian man greeted warmly, his fangs clearly visible from his big grin. "I'm your host, Dracul Dalca!"

He then removed one of the branches of the huge trees to reveal a large building made of brown bricks, standing proudly with a red carpet leading to the inside. On the building's front, there were two statues of a hand making the peace sign while holding a mike – the sign of the Voice. Draculwalked up to the building, smile still present on his face, and went onto the Performance Stage. He stood next to four red chairs.

"Join us here today in this singing competition like no other!" Dracul announced.

The camera then shot to Francine Bellemare, a French actress and the only female Coach to participate. She was wearing a lovely form-fitting violet dress and her dirty blonde hair was tied up into a French bun.

"HetaVoice is about finding someone with a true, God-given gift that we haven't had the pleasure to hear yet," explained Francine, her voice with a slight purr.

The camera then focused to a shot of Sadik Adnan, a Turkish man with short black hair, deep brown eyes, stubble and one of the male Judges. He was holding his white mask in one hand while wearing a hooded green jacket (hood down).

"What really got me to the Voice was the whole idea of these _"Blind Auditions,"_" said Sadik.

The camera then focused to Alfred F. Jones, a young American man (the youngest out of the four Judges) with blue eyes behind glinting glasses that seemed to wink at the viewer, and dark blonde hair with a slight cowlick. He was wearing denim jeans, a leather bomber jacket and a clear white shirt as well as some dog-tags.

"It's like listening to a new artist you haven't heard of before white the radio's playing," explained Alfred. "I mean, you don't know what they even look like – you just know that you totally love this song."

The camera then focused onto the final Judge, Arthur Kirkland an English gentleman with a punk side. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt in the design of the Union Jack and a black-and-white checked bandana around his neck as well as ripped black jeans.

"I think it's a jolly good idea, actually," nodded Arthur. "For one thing, it's completely fair, and completely level."

The camera then did multiple shots of the Judges as they each chose to voice their thoughts on the concept of the competition.

"I'm really excited to be able to choose my team of singers just by hearing their voice," smiled Francine. "It's _trés bien_!"

"I think this is what sets this show apart from any other singing competitions," agreed Alfred.

"It is _definitely_ not about how the artist looks, man," Sadik said as he slipped his mask on.

"This most certainly isn't a simple 15-minute kind of thing," confirmed Arthur. "Simply put, it's about _"_the_ voice."_ This opportunity is very, very rare."

The camera then shifted back onto a full shot, which showed the four Judges standing on the Performance Stage, looking like total bosses.

Dracul's voice spoke in a voice-over, "These four Judges aren't just your normal celebrities either, they're total megastars in their field and they're here to participate as the Judges. First, we have Sadik Adnan – his incredible career spanned for over one and a half _decades_! During this time, he has won multiple music awards including a HetaTV award and had over 10 million albums sold worldwide!"

The camera then focused onto Sadik, who was smirking as one of his music videos (a powerful ballad), was played at the back with Sadik performing (without a mask). The powerful ballad music video was then changed to a smooth and calm R&B with Sadik with his mask back on. It then stops as Dracul describes the next Judge and how top-notch they are.

"Arthur Kirkland; lead singer and guitarist of world famous band World Class Act. Won 8 HetaTV nominations and sold over 20 _million_ albums worldwide!"

The camera then focused onto Arthur, who was both a little embarrassed but proud of Draculspouting his achievements. The music video playing was a Hardout rock song with Arthur rocking out on his guitar while singing crazy ranges as his band plays on a monochromatic scene. The music video then changes to another rock but one that's softer where Arthur is this time on a ship. Dracul continues on when it stops.

"Francine Bellemare; child protégé and the best selling ever female artist to hit the charts! Her debut album alone stayed number one for _30 _weeks!"

The camera focused onto Francine who smiled and gave a seductive wink to the camera. It then showed Francine in a powerful pop song with a strong voice (even the males Judges were shocked) while she was in a garden. The next music video that played was a sweeter, more romantic song where she was with a French man with wavy, shoulder-length, blonde hair in the rain. Dracul reached the last Judge.

"Alfred F. Jones – country superstar; winner of 3 Grammy awards, multiple Arias and several Hetalia Music Awards and 9 million albums sold."

The camera then focused onto Alfred who grinned at the camera and gave a thumbs-up at the viewers. First, it shows Alfred playing guitar as crazily as Arthur on a bright stage filled with thousands of screaming fans (a country rock), then it moves onto a more peaceful music video with a calmer but nicely played guitar at a field. The music video eventually stopped and the camera was focused back onto Dracul.

"Now all of the best singers in the country have arrived!" announced Dracul. "They're here for the chance to be judged only and _only _by their voice! Now this is how it works – during the contestant's blind auditions, the four Judges sit in _these _chairs with their backs towards the singer!"

For emphasis, Draculsat in one of the red swivel chairs and patted one of the arms. He smirked as he leaned back and crossed a leg over, sitting like a boss.

"There is no way they can see the artist – nope!" Dracul attempted to look around, but it seemed obvious that the one sitting would have to move their whole body in order to look. "They can only _hear_ them! The ultimate test of a voice! Now, if a coach is impressed and they likey what they hear, they hit this _big_, _beautiful_ _red_ button, which turns their chair right on around!"

Dracul then pressed the shiny red button and the chair immediately lit up like a Christmas tree and turned around. He grinned again.

"Here's something you should also take note of!" Dracul cleared his throat as he held up four fingers. "If more than _one _artist turns their chair around, then it's all up to the performer's hands! That's right!" his grin grew wider, though it looked somewhat mischievous. "They can pick _who_ they want as their coach! Of course, that means that our superstar coaches have to now _sell _themselves out to the artist. Expect to even see a bit of a _bidding _war between the four judges!"

The Romanian man gave a cackle at his last sentence as the chair turned back around. Dracul then held up his hand.

"On the other hand, if _none _of the judges turn around, then the performer is automatically _out _of the competition," Dracul said, now looking more serious. "The coaches are competing to find that _one _artist that can take them to the Finals and win it all! The prize of $750 000, a Ford Ferrari and a recording contract with Ancients Rules Studio!" he raised his arms in the air. "Now, get ready…get set…the Blind Auditions officially start…now!"

"Dracul, what the bloody hell are you doing in my chair?"

"Huh?"

Francine gave a laugh, "It seems _monsieur _Dracul would like a taste of the coach's power, no?"

Dracul then looked up to realize that the four Judges were towering over him. Arthur had his hands on his hips, looking very unamused; Francine was smiling from finely painted lips and leaning down slightly to go to eye level with Dracul; Sadik was grinning from ear-to-ear with his arms crossed over his chest with his mask on his face; Alfred was laughing.

"Uh…"

"Well?" Arthur demanded. "Why the sodding hell are you in my seat, Dracul?"

The Romanian host began to sweat, "Well, uh you see…" he gulped then exhaled. He turned to the camera and cleared his throat, looking serious again, "Okay…well, the blind auditions…they start in three…two…one…_NOW_!"

And with that, the Romanian man suddenly leapt out of the chair and dashed out of the Performance Room, much to the confusion of the four Judges. "See you suckers!" he cackled.

Arthur however was _not_ amused. "You fanged git!" snapped the British man. "Where do you think you're running off to?!"

Sadik laughed as he patted Arthur's shoulder, "Hey, don't go _too _hard on the Count, Arthur! I mean, at least he warmed your seat for you!"

Francine smiled, "Indeed, it must feel nice, no?"

Arthur flushed, "Shut up, Frenchie."

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!]  
**

* * *

_Hello all! HetaWriter/HetaReader here. Yes, I've finally gained the balls to post this story online. I'm not sure if it'll be received by everyone, but I was inspired by watching episodes of both the American and Australian versions of The Voice and the Blind Audition concept is what interested me the most. My sister showed me the show and the songs of the people who auditioned and I must admit: a lot of them are brilliant and are now in my 2009 iTouch. I think they all do deserve recognition; they are quite talented_

Well, how about we get this show on the road? Characters introduced so far:

Dracul Dalca (Romania)  
Sadik Adnan (Turkey)  
Francine Bellemare (Nyo!France)  
Arthur Kirkland (England/Britain)  
Alfred F. Jones (America)

_I wonder, which Judge do you root for? Thoughts and opinions? Have a nice day! :DDD_


	2. Episode 1: The Blind Auditions, Day 1

_I do NOT own Hetalia or the songs, or the Voice. They belong to their resepctful owners.  
Thank you so much to those who reviewed! I hope you enjoy this chapter - be warned though that there's a lot in it._

_RandomWriter57: I've only watched the American and Australian ones, but I think I'll go check out the UK one when I have some spare time. Haha, it's okay to be biased here. Thank you for the review! *salutes back*_

_xXtheawesomenesshandsdownXx: Haha, yes I'll continue as much as I can. I'm currently working on the next chapter right now. How did you know I have a set of sweet teeth? XD_

_Precious Marble: Yeah, all hail punk!England!_

_islapmofos: I actually really like Turkey - he's a funny and interesting character. Lol, the "Choice"? Never heard of that one before._

* * *

**Episode 1 – Blind Auditions Day 1**

A young English woman started on her way to the HetaVoice Building. She had her yellow blonde hair tied into two plaits and was wearing a beige sweater vest with a long-sleeve white shirt and a black skirt.

She was accompanied with two people – a middle-aged man with red hair, standing tall and proud, as well as a young Portuguese man with mocha-coloured locks and blue-grey eyes. He was chatting with the young lady as they all continued along the red carpet.

"And here we have our first blind audition artist," announced Dracul with a big, fanged grin. "Twenty-three-year-old Agatha Clarkland, who is here with her father, Albert, and her best friend, Joao."

As the three entered the HetaVoice Building, Agatha was being interviewed.

"When I attended high school, I was always seen as the _'weird girl'_ who sat at the back of every class," explained Agatha. "People saw me differently and made fun of me because I was so different to other girls – while they focused on their bloody nails and make-up; I focused more on my mystery novels…" the English woman shrugged. "I've always been judged by how I looked – _"my, she's really plain," "she's not much to look at, at all."_"

Albert, Agatha's redheaded father spoke, "Though she may be really rough around the edges, she's actually very shy; she lacks confidence – no ego whatsoever there…"

"I don't…_really_ recall singing as a major part of my life," said Agatha slowly. "The thought of being watched by people was always out of the question. But, as I became older, I learnt that when I performed, I stopped being me and became someone else; someone that was _much_ more confident and who I strive to be."

"Real shame nobody tries to get closer to her – but it's their loss," scoffed Joao, the Portuguese man and Agatha's best friend. "She's an amazing person. Her voice is just so…wow…" A fond smile spread across his face, "I'm complaining though. I know she's gonna get picked, no problem."

"This opportunity and the fact that it's _completely _and _literally _a blind audition is so important to me, because nobody could judge me and say anything against me," said Agatha, looking determined. "This is the only chance."

She entered the Preparation Room to get ready and calm her nerves down before doing her performance. She then came onto the Performance Stage, her footsteps echoing throughout the room while the audience was in complete silent, watching her, eagerly waiting to hear what she sounded like. The four Judges all had their backs turned to her, seated in their red chairs.

In his seat at the right end, Alfred began shifting a bit uncomfortably. He gave an uneasy smile to Francine, who was sitting on his left. "Dudette, I'm already on the edge of my seat!" he said sheepishly.

Francine chuckled, "I know, _mon ami_!"

"_Literally_, man!"

Agatha then reached the centre stage where the mike was positioned in its stand. She took a deep breath with her hands intertwined at her front. She looked down to calm herself a bit more.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Albert and Joao watched the English lady from a screen with Dracul near them.

"She looks beautiful," smiled Albert.

"I know," agreed Joao.

After fully calming herself down, Agatha then gave a small nod to the musicians, signalling that she was ready to perform. The music began to play while the stage was tinted with pale green-blue lights.

[Agatha]  
_You are my sweetest downfall  
__I loved you first, I loved you first_

Her voice was soft, sweet, and full of deep emotion. It was accompanied by a lone piano playing a melancholic tune. Already in their seats, the Judges were getting affected; Sadik gave a start and his eyes widened from behind his mask, Arthur looked intrigued while Alfred gave a surprised "_ah_!" Francine leaned back on her chair as she listened more closely to the voice singing.

[Agatha]  
_Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth  
__I have to go, I have to go  
__Your hair was long when we first met_

_Samson went back to bed  
__Not much hair left on his head  
__He ate a slice of wonder bread  
__And went right back to bed  
__All the history books forgot about us  
__And the Bible didn't mention us  
__The Bible didn't mention us  
__Not even once_

_You are my sweetest downfall  
__I loved you first, I loved you first_

This time, a cello accompanied the lone piano. Here, Francine was about to press her button, much to the delight of the audience, however she hesitated. Sadik was also touching the button's surface, contemplating deeply.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Albert was feeling anxious. "Come on, press it!" he urged. "Press it!"

Joao meanwhile watched his best friend perform; a knowing smile on his face and his eyes growing watery as he only saw and heard her. Memories flashed in his mind – he and Agatha were children sleeping under a tree, he punched out a guy who made fun of her eyebrows, he rejected the date offer from one of the most popular girls in high school just to hang out with his best friend who was down…then it came to a particular memory.

He was sleeping in her house because things were becoming too troublesome; his younger brother and father were fighting, his girlfriend was being so unreasonably bitchy, work was stressful…he was so tired and worn out that he forgot to cut his hair – he wasn't bothered to do so despite his complaints.

During that time, as he spent his time with his best friend…he wasn't sure if he wanted just that from her…

[Agatha]  
_Beneath the stars came falling on our heads  
__They're just old light, they're just old light  
__Your hair was long when we first met_

_Samson came to my bed  
__Told me that my hair was red  
__Told me I was beautiful  
__And came into my bed_

Unbeknownst to him, Agatha was having the same thoughts as she sang on the stage. That memory was in her mind, playing vividly – Joao was under the weather. He even complained about his hair, but did nothing to cut it. His girlfriend thought that ponytail was quite cute, though.

Agatha was bitter – that girl was cruel, mean, and very improper; she didn't understand how Joao could have gone out with someone like her.

Or was it another reason why the English woman felt like that?

By the time Joao woke up, his ponytail was gone and strands of his hair flowed from Agatha's pale hands. Her eyes widened when she saw him awake, however instead of being angry, he groggily moved over and kissed her a few times, with a smile and a quiet word of thanks.

She assumed he was still ridden with sleep.

[Agatha]  
_Oh, I cut his hair myself one night  
__A pair of dull scissors and the yellow light  
__And he told me that I'd done alright  
__And kissed me 'til the morning light, the morning light_

_He kissed me 'till the morning light_

Here, Francine finally pressed her button. Her chair immediately swivelled around and the audience screamed in delight. The French woman smiled as she watched the young English lady perform. Agatha blushed a little, but she continued on singing nonetheless.

[Agatha]  
_Samson went back to bed  
__Not much hair left on his head  
__He ate a slice of wonder bread  
__And went right back to bed  
__Oh, we couldn't bring the columns down  
__Yeah, we couldn't destroy a single one  
__And the history books forgot about us_

Francine sighed dreamily, putting her hands across her chest, "_Absolument magnifique_!"

Alfred then pressed his button and the audience cheered loudly as his chair turned around. He grinned when he saw Agatha continue to sing with her angelic voice.

[Agatha]  
_And the Bible didn't mention us  
__Not even once._

Another button sounded off and the audience's screams of delight grew even louder as Sadik's chair turned around. The Turkish man was smiling from ear-to-ear as he gazed at Agatha.

[Agatha]  
_You are my sweetest downfall  
__I loved you first…_

Once the song finished, the audience yelled, cheered, whooped and clapped loudly as Arthur's chair was finally turned around. The English man blinked and smiled sheepishly at the woman of the same nationality as him. Agathagave a small curtsy to the onlookers accompanied with a weak smile.

In the Waiting Room, Albert's eyes were wet; immensely proud of his daughter. Joaowas also moved to tears as the two men watched what happened next.

"_Ma chére_…that was absolutely _beautiful_!" exclaimed Francine. "_Trés bien_!"

"Thank you…" murmured Agatha.

"Hey there!" grinned Alfred. "What's your name, dudette?"

"Agatha Clarkland," responded the English woman. "I'm 23-years-old."

"Totes loved the Regina Spektor song," praised Alfred. "It was a really brave choice, but I think it really showed off the emotion and cool tone in your voice. You have suchgreat control over it – it was really awesome to hear!"

Agatha blushed at the compliment, "Thank you very much."

"Miss Agatha, every now and then, you got a voice that comes along and it just goes right through your mind; playing with no other distractions," said Sadik. "Simply put: the _real _power of music. While I was listening to that, I just wanted to jump in your arms after listening to that voice."

Agatha chuckled, "Well…you're welcome to, I guess."

The audience giggled and applauded Agatha's little crack there. The English woman gave a sheepish smile again, "I just wanted to throw that one out there."

Sadik laughed, "Well played!" and he applauded her again.

"Well…Agatha," smiled Arthur. "Your voice is beautiful, dove. Now, I'm sorry I didn't pick you, but it's just that at a few points, I could hear nerves coming from you. Also, your voice is so…soft; I wouldn't know what to do with a voice like yours – I might end up crushing it."

"Thank you," said Agatha, turning red. "It's fine there, thank you for being honest."

"_Ma chére_," sighed Francine. "I was just overwhelmed with tears of inspiration and I simply just _have _to have you on my team."

"That's a given there, Frenchie," spoke up Alfred. "We _all _have to have her!"

The French woman ignored him, "We are _meant _to be together. I completely feel that I understand your voice and it is just so beautiful; you are _exactly _what this show is all about, _ma chére_!"

"Before you can make your choice, I just wanna say one last thing – this ain't me using strategy," Sadik stretched his hand out.

"_Mon dieu_!" gasped Francine. "He's got his hand out, be careful! That hand; it just pulls you in! It is a magnetic force of unknown origin! I understand it perfectly!"

"Keep your panties from getting in a twist, Frenchie," laughed Sadik. "As I said, this ain't me using strategy –"

"Don't look into his eyes!" cried Alfred. "As long as you don't keep eye contact!"

The audience and Agatha cracked up at the remarks from Sadik's fellow Judges. Sadik himself wasn't angry; in fact, he looked amused as his hand was still sticking out. Alfred and Francinewere in mocking positions with their own hands out while Arthur was shaking his head at them, refusing to engage in such childish behaviour.

"What I want for you is…to win. Look, sure yeah it's a competition here, but it's not _all _about us winning in this competition, it's about the _real_ voices making it through and you certainly have a voice of such standard there. You're a winner, no matter who the hell you go with. You're gonna be put into great hands, anyway and the future's just open!"

Agatha flushed at his words, "T-thank you…"

Arthur gave her a reassuring smile, "It's all up to you, poppet."

The audience immediately cheered and called out to the English woman, who looked slightly nervous but thinking carefully. Francine was mouthing _"pick me"_ and making gestures to herself, as if to rope the young English woman in. Alfred was rubbing his hands together while Sadik was smiling at her.

After a short moment, Agatha finally made her decision. She looked up and gave a shy smile.

"It has to be Sadik," she said.

The audience screamed and cheered in delight as Sadik grinned from ear-to-ear, his arms raised in triumph. He then got up with his arms spread out and made his way towards Agatha. The English woman likewise headed towards the Turkish man. He then took her in his arms and kissed both her cheeks. Agathawas flushing furiously, but for once, didn't push a man off of her.

"You truly are beautiful," smiled Sadik. "You are beautiful, and the thing that comes out of you is beautiful, too."

Agatha flushed, not used to such compliments coming from other people besides her father and Joao, "T-thank you…"

"I can't believe it," Sadik chuckled. "Seriously, I'm such a lucky bastard."

"Thank you so much," said Agatha.

And with that, Sadik raised one of Agatha'sarms like a referee does with the winning boxer slash wrestler. Agatha afterwards, left the Performance Stage and went into the Waiting Room where she was immediately brought into the arms of Joaoand Albert. She smiled and hugged them back.

"I'm so proud of you," her father said with a big smile.

"Thank you…" Agatha responded, smiling back.

Joao then leaned down, his tanned cheeks dusted slightly red, and spoke softly, "He was right you know, Sadik – you truly _are_ beautiful…"

Agatha blushed, "Thank you."

As they left the HetaVoice Building, Agatha got interviewed one last time.

"Sadik believes in me," she said with a smile. "He seems like a genuinely nice person. Honestly, I think everything's going to be okay."

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

This time, a Ukrainian man walked onto the red carpet. He had pale platinum blonde hair and shining blue eyes. He was wearing a blue scarf and a tan coat as well as a shy smile. Accompanying him were a young Russian woman with long, beige-blonde hair and lilac eyes, wearing pink, as well as a young Belarusian man with chin-length hair with an ahoge, dark eyes and wearing a long coat with dark fur trim.

The young Russian woman was tightly gripping onto the Ukrainian man's hand while the Belarusian man was clutching her arm. The Ukrainian man was also holding an old leather guitar case in one hand.

"And now we go onto our next contestant," announced Dracul. "Shy 27-year-old construction worker, Dmitri Yektarina. Coming to support him are his younger siblings: sister Anya and brother Nikolai."

The three siblings entered the HetaVoice Building and were chatting amicably. Anya and Nikolaiwere both also interviewed.

"My big brother has a lovely voice," said Anya, Dmitri's younger sister, proudly. "I have the utmost privilege to listen to such a sweet and raw tone. He would sing to me whenever I was scared, I couldn't fall asleep or if I found him practicing – it's just so soothing yet strong. You _must _hear it!"

Nikolai, Dmitri's younger brother gave a nod, "My brother _does _have a nice singing voice, no doubt about it…even if it _does _take away sweet _sestra's_ attention a lot. However, I know he will _crush _the competition!"

Dracul carefully backed away from the Belarusian man after he made that final comment.

Dmitri smiled and made his way to the Preparation Room to calm his nerves and get ready. During this time, Dracul was able to interview him.

"I have worked as a construction worker for many number of years," sighed Dmitri. "To be honest, it's something I don't really like doing. If there's anything I would _love _to do for the rest of my life…it would be singing," he patted his guitar. "It's what I enjoy doing and it makes my dear siblings happy, too."

He then took a deep breath as he started to tune his old guitar. He sighed and looked out at the Performance Stage from the Preparation Room.

"I was never really good in performing music exams back in school; I would become so nervous every time the teachers would stare at me, expecting me to start…" he said sheepishly. "This feels exactly like that. But this is the perfect opportunity for me to be only heard and not seen by the ones judging…"

Dmitri then went onto the Performance Stage as he clutched his guitar, feeling his stomach turn around in knots. He gave a nervous smile at the audience as he propped his guitar.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Anya was clapping her hands, looking absolutely excited for her older brother. Nikolai narrowed his eyes as he watched the Judges closely.

Back on the Performing Stage, Dmitri nodded, signalling that he was ready and started to pick at some chords on his trusty old guitar while the lights tinted the stage with a lovely light blue.

[Dmitri]  
_He came from somewhere back in her long ago  
__The sentimental fool don't see  
__Tryin' hard to recreate  
__What had yet to be created for once in her life_

The audience whooped and cheered at his strumming and voice. Dmitri seemed more reassured by the audience's positive reaction as he continued strumming some chords and sang on, his voice very mature and somewhat husky. A drum beat soon followed; laidback and more level as well as a bass line.

[Dmitri]  
_She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale  
__But never coming near what he wanted to say  
__Only to realize  
__It never really was._

_She had a place in his life  
__He never made her think twice_

In his seat, Sadik started moving – he cocked his head in rhythm to the song and Alfred actually mouthed the words to the song, knowing the lyrics.

Anya was clasping her hands together, nervous for her older brother while Nikolai had his arms around his older sister's shoulders, reassuring her that Dmitri would be just fine.

[Dmitri]  
_As he rises to her apology  
__Anybody else would surely know  
__He's watching her go  
__  
But what a fool believes…he sees  
__No wise man has the power to reason away  
__For what seems to be  
__Is always better than nothing  
__And nothing at all keeps sending him…_

Alfred's hand almost pressed the button; however he stopped at the last moment. He leaned forward and cupped his hands around one of his ears to listen more closely at Dmitri's voice.

In the Waiting Room, Anya was squealing at how close it was, and started cursing in Russian when Alfred withdrew his hand.

Nikolai patted his sister's shoulder. "Do not worry; _sestra_…" he said tonelessly. "Dmitri will be just fine…"

"Press the button!" urged Anya. "Press it! Come on! Kolkolkolkol!" she was suddenly surrounded by a strange, dark aura.

Naturally, this prompted Dracul to slowly back away.

Back on the Performing Stage, Dmitri continued performing his song as he closed his eyes and continued strumming on his guitar.

[Dmitri]  
_Somewhere back in her long ago  
__Where he can still believe there's a place in her life  
__Someway, somehow, she will return._

_She had a place in his life  
__He never made her think twice  
__As she rises to her apology  
__Anybody else would surely know  
__He's watching her go_

_But what a fool believes…he sees…_

Sadik fisted his big red button and it swivelled around, so he can finally face Dmitri. The Ukrainian man looked ecstatic, but he kept himself cool knowing he was still performing. Instead, he gave a humble nod in the Turkish man's direction. Sadik smiled and started clapping in rhythm to the song.

"Sadik, old chap…is he playing a guitar?" inquired Arthur.

The Turkish man however wasn't paying attention to the English man and stood up in his seat, body now moving in rhythm to the song. Arthur rolled his eyes and shook his head at being ignored.

[Dmitri]  
_No wise man has the power to reason away  
__For what seems…to be  
__Always better than nothing  
__And nothing at all_

_What a fool believes he sees._

The song finally finished and Sadik cheered along with the audience. All the chairs turned around and everyone came face-to-face with Dmitri who was blushing at all the attention. He gave another modest nod at the screaming audience.

Sadik smiled, "What's up?"

"Hello Sadik," Dmitri said with his strong accent.

"So, what's your name stud?" asked Sadik.

"My name is Dmitri Yektarina."

"Well, congrats for going head on with a seriously hard-out song," praised Sadik.

Dmitri blushed a little, "Thank you…"

"I heard something in your voice that I could definitely work with – it was a rich tone and conviction," noted Sadik. "However, you also sounded pretty nervous there, brother…"

Dmitri chuckled nervously, "I honestly felt like I was being smashed in the face by a shovel."

"Look…every time _I _sing, I get nervous as hell," agreed Sadik. "I'm gonna teach you how to make that nervousness an advantage. I'm gonna teach you to be able to use that nervousness as your new friend. But anyway, well done, stud! Well done!"

"Thank you so much," smiled Dmitri.

"I didn't press my button because Sadik pressed _his _button and I knew he would be the perfect coach for you," explained Arthur. "I also heard that bout of nerves and some lack of confidence. In all seriousness however, you're under good hands.

"Aww thanks Arthur," grinned Sadik.

"Congratulations," said Arthur.

"Thank you," Dmitri gave a nod of respect to Arthur.

"I love you man, I love you," Sadik said to Arthur.

The English man rolled his eyes, "Don't be so emotional, you git.

"Aww, you know you want a hug, man!" laughed Sadik. "Come here!"

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" snapped Arthur. "Stay away from me!"

"Come on, man!" grinned Sadik. "Let me give you some love!"

The Turkish man got out of his seat and went over to Arthur's chair. The British man was shrinking back in his seat, protesting as Sadik spread his arms out. Everyone laughed and there were a lot of screams of approval from the audience as Sadik had his arms wrapped around Arthur, who was scowling and giving a pout from being ignored.

Alfred was laughing his head off, "Hahaha! Artie, you just got a big serving of Turkish delight!"

"Sod off, you wanker!" snapped the British man as Sadik guffawed.

"Aw~ you both look so cute!" cooed Francine. "Especially you, _mon petite lapin_."

Arthur's face was beet red, "P-put a sock in it, Frog Princess!"

Francine then turned her attention to Dmitri, "As of I, I also did not press my button because I also believed that _monsieur _Sadik would be absolutely perfect for you. Your voice is still a pleasure to hear."

"Yeah," agreed Alfred. "And kudos to you playing guitar, too – especially with that song as well. Can't wait to hear what you'll perform next time, man!"

"Thank you," smiled Dmitri. "Thank you so much."

Sadik then got up and walked on over to Dmitri, the Ukrainian man also made his way to the Turkish man and the pair embraced as the audience cheers. Sadik patted Dmitri'sshoulder and grinned.

"We'll work on it – the nerves," promised Sadik. "They'll be used as your advantage; mark my words, man."

Dmitri smiled in response, "Okay then. Yes."

Sadik then raised up one of Dmitri's hands as he did with Agatha before. The Ukrainian man was a bit red-faced, but smiled at the audience as they screamed, clapped and cheered. Afterwards, he left the Performance Stage and smiled at his two waiting siblings in the Waiting Room. Anya squealed in delight and jumped into her older brother's arms, kissing his cheek. Nikolai nodded approvingly at his older brother.

"Of course my big brother would make it!" said Anya proudly. "He has a voice like no other!"

"My sister fawns over Dmitri a lot…" snorted Nikolai. "But I guess today I'll let it be – since today is _his _day…"

Dmitri gave a content sigh, "I am blessed to have such two supportive younger siblings. I won't let them or Sadik down."

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"Talented, right?" Dracul gave a good-natured laugh. "And so far, Sadik has the first two contestants that move in to our HetaVoice Building! However, how about this faceless person we're gonna show ya?"

The camera then focuses on an Asian (who isn't the singer). He is a boy with dark brown hair up to his jaw and light brown eyes. He was wearing a red _duangua _with black piping and oversized sleeves as well as dark brown trousers. He walked into the building, with a hand on a shorter female figure's shoulder. The mystery singer's whole figure is darkened out, only revealing a silhouette, but even then, they were still unidentifiable as they were having their interview.

"HetaVoice is a great idea," said the mystery singer. "Whenever I sing, nobody seriously expects my voice to come out of me. Nobody takes me seriously. I really hope someone turns their chair around…"

While the mystery singer was preparing herself backstage, the boy and brother to the mystery singer, Leon, was being interviewed about her.

"She sings – it's simple as that," said Leon. "She sung so much ever since…things have been harder at home…"

Back in the Waiting Room, the mystery singer explained, "Just a year ago, my father died from pancreatic cancer. I remembered he would sing and dance with me back at our home in Beijing. I really do miss him, and singing…it brings me closer to him. I'm here for him. In honour of him."

It now only shows a shot of the mystery singer'sfeet, which are Chinese slippers and some black pants. As they go onto the Performance Stage, the mystery singer's footsteps echo throughout the room. The Judges are shifting in their seats.

"Man, I get so nervous…" sighed Alfred.

Arthur nodded, "Indeed…so tempted to look, but obviously we can't…"

Once things settle down, the music then starts: bass guitar strums. Suddenly, a great and strong female voice with grit is heard once the strumming of a guitar is made. The lights appropriately tinted the stage a lovely scarlet.

[Mystery Singer]  
_There's a fire starting in my heart  
__eaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark  
__Finally I can see you crystal clear  
__Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your stuff bare_

_See how I'll leave, with every piece of you  
__Don't underestimate the things that I would do  
__'Cause there's a fire starting in my heart  
__Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark_

"Oh yeah!" Alfred gave a smile; he loved this song.

Francine's eyebrows arched and she was tempted to look, but didn't. Alfred chuckled and stared at his button while Sadik was scratching his head, trying to envision what the singer looked like and if this voice was one he could add to his team; after all, he had two places already filled. Arthur scowled since he believed that this song and the artist were overrated and overdone.

[Mystery Singer]  
_The scars of your love remind me of us  
__They keep me thinking that we almost had it all  
__The scars of your love, they leave me breathless  
__I can't help feeling…_

All of a sudden, the camera pulled back and the mystery singer was revealed to be a small Chinese girl with deep brown hair tied up in a pair of buns. She was wearing a long sleeved _qipao_ and a hat with a pink flower in her hair. The name is then revealed by Dracul, who's in the Waiting Room with Leon.

"Ling Chun-Yan!" announced Dracul.

"_Jié-Jié_…" Leon looked a little anxious. "Come on big sister…"

Dracul's eyes boggled, "Whoaaa wait a minute…she's _older _than you?"

Leon's dark brown eyes narrowed, "And that's a problem how-?"

"Never mind…"

Back on the Performance Stage, Chun-Yan was still performing, making a bit of a small march as she sang with great gusto. Her small march however was earned with screams and cheers of approval from the audience though.

[Chun-Yan]  
_We could have had it all!  
__You're rolling in the deep!  
__You had my heart inside of your hands  
__And you played it to the beat_

_Baby, I have no story to be told  
__But I've heard one of you and I'm gonna make your head burn  
__Think of me in the depths of your despair  
__You're making a home down there as mine sure won't be shared_

Finally, at this point, Alfred was about to press his button, but suddenly stopped, hesitating. Francine was watching him closely as were Arthur and Sadik. The American man grinned at his comrades, noticing them starting.

"Whatcha looking at, dudes?" he asked.

[Chun-Yan]  
_The scars of your love remind me of us  
__They keep me thinking that we almost had it all  
__The scars of your love, they leave me breathless  
__I can't help feeling…_

_We could have had it all!  
__You're rolling in the deep!  
__You had my heart inside of your hand  
__And you played it to the beat_

_Throw your soul through every open door  
__And count your blessings to find what you look for  
__Then turn my sorrow into treasured gold  
__You pay me back in kind and it'll reap just what you sow_

By now, Leon was actually starting to look nervous for his older sister as none of the Judges have pressed their button so far.

Dracul saw him looking worried for his sister and patted the boy's shoulder as a means to reassure him. However, this instead earned a strange look from the boy. Dracul quickly withdrew his hand, noticing that he just made the scene a bit awkward between the pair of them.

[Chun-Yan]  
_We could have had it all, baby  
__We could have had it all  
__Yeah, baby!_

That did it – Alfred then slammed his hand down on his red button and it turned around. He laughed and looked at Chun-Yan in surprise and amusement. She was a small girl after all, yet she was singing with a huge and strong voice.

Suddenly, Francine followed suit by pressing her red button. Her chair swivelled around and she was completely shocked at what she was seeing – a tiny girl with a great voice.

"Wow!" exclaimed Francine.

Alfred laughed, "I know, right?"

Arthur nudged Sadik, "What the bloody hell are they gaping at?"

The Turkish man shrugged as Arthur rolled his eyes and stared down at his shiny red button in consideration. However, he still didn't press it because he seriously didn't like the song – it was bloody overdone and overrated.

[Chun-Yan]  
_We could have had it all!  
__You're rolling in the deep!  
__You had my heart inside of your hand  
__And you played it to the beat_

_We could have it all!  
__You're rolling in the deep!  
__You had my heart inside of your hand  
__And you played it, you played it, you played it _

_You played it to the beat._

The song finally finished and Chun-Yan fixed her hat as it was now askew from her zesty performance. The audience cheered and stood on their feet as she happily smiled and waved at them. When Sadik and Arthur turned around, they were both just as shocked as Francine and Alfred.

"Whoa…" Arthur gasped. "What's your name, dove?"

"I'm Ling Chun-Yan," responded the Chinese girl with a cheerful smile.

"And…how old are you?" questioned the British man, scratching his messy, blonde head.

"Well, I'm 26 years old!"

Arthur was bowled over, "W-wha-?! I don't believe that! You don't look that age! You look like a sodding teenager!"

Chun-Yan grinned at the comment and curtsied, "Why, thank you! I'll take that as a compliment, aru!"

Francine nodded, "Indeed…what is your secret, _ma chére_?"

Chun-Yan pondered, "Just eat well, healthily, heartily and happily!"

Francine smiled, "I can tell that a lot of great things will happen with the both of us together. That's why, I would make a good coach for you – I can help you to strive high with a strong voice like yours."

"Be aware that I pressed my button for you first," spoke up Alfred loudly.

Francine sighed, "Indeed _mon ami_, but I think I know what's best for her."

"Hehe, okay then Frenchie, but Chun-Yan…" the American turned his attention to the Chinese girl. "You have a very strong voice and it's so awesome to see it come from such a small dudette like yourself."

Chun-Yan chuckled, "Thank you, aru!"

"I think…you need a bit more control and training with it," said Alfred. "I can help you there! You're going to be even awesomer than you are now!"

"Well…_I _see clearly though that she sings right from the heart and it pours the emotions in her voice," Francine said, her hand on her chest. "_Oui_? Voices require the utmost _care_,_ monsieur _Alfred. Just like looks – even a _small _move that is wrong, can be disastrous."

"Sooo…" Sadik spoke up. "Who's it gonna be?"

"Oh wow…um…" Chun-Yan bit her lip.

The audience again called out their opinion on who the young-looking Chinese woman should choose. Chun-Yan licked her lips as she looked back and forth between the two very different Coaches. She had a pensive and serious look on her face as she began to contemplate.

"Well…" the Chinese woman said. "I'm going to go from what I heard from the both of you…and well…I got affected most when I heard that I sing right from the heart, so Francine, I choose you."

Francine was ecstatic and she immediately cheered as did the audience. Sadik and a begrudging Arthur applauded her, while Alfred slouched down a little, clearly disappointed. The French woman elegantly headed up to the Chinese girl and she walked carefully over to her. The pair embraced.

"Singing from the heart is one of the most important things when it comes to performing," Francine said.

Chun-Yan nodded, "Yes, I know."

"Don't ever forget that," the French woman smiled.

The Chinese woman shook her head, also smiling, "I won't ever."

As Chun-Yan left the Performance Stage, Francine looked like she was on cloud nine. Sadik laughed at the French woman's expression. "Man, you're a lucky bitch," he said.

"_Oui_, I know I am!" Francine winked at him.

"I'm still just…" Arthur was still blown away from the whole audition. "I can't believe it! Your first teammate looks like a sodding child!"

"Yeah but dude; she totes got the voice of a woman!" spoke up Alfred, smile now back on his face. It would take more than that to bring him down.

Chun-Yan then ran into the Waiting Room and called her younger (and taller) brother's name. The expressionless boy, much to Dracul's surprise, sprinted over and picked up his small, older sister in a tight hug.

"You did so well…" breathed Leon.

Chun-Yan gave a tinkling laugh, "I sang for _bàba_."

"I know…" Leon nodded, a glimmer in his brown eyes. "He would've been so proud…"

"I did choose Francine because I _did _sing from the heart – I gave it my all," explained Chun-Yan. "I will always sing from the heart and I will _always _do my hardest! You can guarantee that!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"And now moving on!" Dracul fixed his little top hat as he smiled again. "Join me with our youngest contestant to ever audition!"

The camera then focused on a young Liechtenstein girl with her short blonde hair in a bob-cut adorned with a single blue ribbon. Her eyes were large, shining and deep green orbs that feigned innocence and sincerity. She was wearing a fuchsia dress over a white blouse along with black stockings and brown _"Mary-Jane" _style shoes.

She was accompanied by a Swiss man that looked quite like her, except stricter and much sharper. He was clad in a grey suit with a red tie and was holding hands with the sweet-looking girl.

Dracul then approached the girl to interview her, though it immediately warranted a disastrous result – before the girl could say a word (it looked like she was going to say hello), the Swiss man suddenly whipped out a shotgun from thin air and started shooting at the poor Romanian host.

"Waaahhh!" Dracul screamed as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, _away _from the trigger-happy Swiss man.

A technical difficulties sign suddenly popped up.

…

…

…

A moment later, Dracul was wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief that had the Batman logo on it. He was then finally able to interview the girl, whose name was Erika.

Erika looked at the Romanian host with concern, "I'm very sorry! My big _bruder_ didn't mean to shoot at you…"

Dracul shook his head, a big grin plastered on his face, "Nah, it's nothing!" He then grumbled to himself, "He better not do it again or I'm pulling the _big _bats…"

Unbeknownst to him, Erika had heard what he had said. She cleared her throat, "U-um…anyway…my name is Erika Zwingli and I am 15 years old. I live with my big brother but honestly…we're not related…"

The interview is then shifted to Erika's brother, the Swiss man who tried shooting the hell out of Dracul. His name was revealed to be Vash. Dracul was extremely nervous as the camera focused on the trigger-happy blonde. Vash looked incredibly annoyed at the shaky camera.

The Swiss man narrowed his eyes, "Don't worry, I won't shoot you…for now…"

"Y-yeah…okay…" Dracul stammered out, though he was doing a happy dance in his mind.

Vash nodded, "It is true that Erika and I aren't biologically related…however, I don't care – she's precious and means a lot to me…"

"When I was only ten and big _bruder_ was nineteen, _vati _died," said Erika sadly, eyes looking at the ground. "It was just so…it was so unexpected…"

Vash heaved a heavy sigh, his eyes reflecting a melancholy tone to it, "My _mutti_ died a month after Erika was adopted…I was so happy to get a little sister. Yes, I was devastated when I found out that _mutti_ was so sick in the hospital, but honestly, Erika's a lot like her…"

"After _vati _joined _mutti_, big _bruder_ worked so hard – he would work for about twelve hours then come home late at night," Erika said, gazing at her brother in admiration.

Vash cleared his throat, though he was slightly red at the amount of adoration he was getting. "I work hard so I can support not only expenses at home, but also for Erika's schooling and her singing lessons," he explained. "She loves singing and she's genuinely good at it. I want her to do what she wants to do."

At the Preparation Room, Erika was breathing in and out, hands over her diaphragm. She exhaled and looked upward, seemingly praying a little.

"All of this…all of this wouldn't be possible if it weren't for my big _bruder _working so hard," said Erika firmly. "I'm here to sing for him and I don't intend on failing, either."

She walked out onto the stage as the Judges just stayed put and listened to her walk in. Erika then grabbed hold of the mike while Vash was watching her anxiously in the Waiting Room with Dracul standing next to him.

The Romanian man looked uneasy to be in the company of the Swiss man, but just stared at the screen as well at the petite Liechtenstein girl who was finally ready to perform. A guitar was heard strumming along with a piano as Erika began her performance while pale green lights tinted the stage.

[Erika]  
_Yeah, yeah, yeah  
__I've been awake for a while now  
__You've got me feeling like a child now  
_'_Cause every time I see your bubbly face  
__I get the tingles in a silly place_

Already, Alfred was mouthing along with the song with a big smile on his face. Sadik was swaying his head around as Erika sang in a soft voice that grew more certain as the song continued on.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Dracul ever so carefully looked sideways at Vash and was astonished to see a small smile reach the Swiss man's face. The Romanian host scratched his head.

[Erika]  
_It starts in my toes  
__And I crinkle my nose  
__Wherever it goes, I always know  
__That you make me smile  
__Please stay for a while now  
__Just take your time  
__Wherever you go_

_The rain is fallin' on my window pane  
__But we are hidin' in a safer place  
__Under covers stayin' dry and warm  
__You give me feelings there that I adore  
__  
They start in my toes  
__Make me crinkle my nose…_

Alfred pressed his red button and it immediately turned around. The audience cheered loudly when the American man looked at the young singer. He is again surprised by the singer, but his smile grew even wider.

Erika was a bit flustered at first, but continued singing the song regardless, a shy smile spreading out on her face. In the Waiting Room, Vash was doing a triumphant gesture, much to Dracul's amusement.

[Erika]  
_Wherever it goes  
__I always know  
__That you make me smile  
__Please stay for a while now  
__Just take your time  
__Wherever you go_

_But what am I gonna say? Yeah  
__When you make me feel this way?  
__I just…yeah!_

_It starts in my toes  
__Makes me crinkle my nose  
__Wherever it goes  
__I always know  
__That you make me smile  
__Please stay for a while now  
__Just take your time  
__Wherever you go_

Alfred was grinning from ear-to-ear, and swayed slightly, causing Arthur and Sadik to wonder who was singing. The Turkish man had his hand on his button, but it wasn't being pressed. Various people in the audience screamed out, encouraging the Turkish man to press it, but he didn't comply.

Instead, Arthur was the one who pressed their button, as well as Francine. The two Judges turned around and the audience exploded into great cheer. The English man glared at the French woman for following his chair around. Francine simply responded with an innocent smile and a wink in Arthur's direction. The British man was flustered and angry.

"Sod off!" snapped Arthur.

Erika meanwhile was extremely surprised to see not one but _two _Coaches turn around at the same time, getting to the total of three. She still sang after catching herself from her initial shock. She gave a weak smile in their direction as she continued to sing.

[Erika]  
_Ba da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da  
__Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da  
__Bum do, do, do, da, da, da, da  
__Da, da, da, da_

_Oh yeah…_

_I've been asleep for a while now  
__You tucked me in just like a child now  
_'_Cause every time you hold me in your arms  
__I'm comfortable enough to feel your warmth_

_It starts in my soul  
__And I lose all control  
__You kiss my nose  
__The feelin' shows  
_'_Cause you make me smile  
__Baby just take your time now  
__Holdin' me tight  
__Oh yeah_

_Wherever, wherever, wherever you go  
__Wherever, wherever, wherever you go  
__Wherever you go, I'll always know_

'_Cause you make me smile  
__Even just for a while._

The song finally came to a close and the audience applauded Erika's performance with great cheer. The Liechtenstein girl gave a curtsy and a wide beam as the Judges also gave their applause. Sadik's chair was turned around and he laughed, seeing that it was a lovely little girl.

"Aww…what's your name?" questioned the Turkish man.

"I'm Erika, Erika Zwingli," responded the blonde girl. "I'm fifteen years old; it's nice to meet you, sir."

"Only fifteen?" Sadik arched an eyebrow. "Damn…polite little thing, aren't you? You've got a sweet voice…but I felt that you were kinda holding back a bit. It didn't reach a high point for me to press my button. I'm sorry, but…that's just my opinion."

Erika gave a nod in understanding, taking the Turkish man's criticism to heart, and turned her attention to Arthur.

"Your voice…it's so sweet," commented the British man. "I loved the performance – the song is harder than it looks to perform, but I think you've done a jolly good job with it."

"Thank you very much, sir," Erika said, feeling shy.

This caused the British man to smile, "And lovely manners, too," he gave a sigh. "It's so rare to find that in young people these days…" he then jerked a thumb in Alfred's direction.

The audience laughed and Erika giggled at the exasperated look on the Englishman's face as well as the pout on Alfred's, "That was totes uncool, bro!"

Francine then chose to speak up, "_Ma chére_, the other two are obviously correct; your voice is sweet and simply lovely for the ears. I'm so glad that you're part of this competition!"

Erika blushed, "Thank you so much."

"I really loved that performance," said Alfred. "Artie's right; that song is _way_ harder to perform than it sounds, but I reckon you did a really awesome job with it! While you sang, I couldn't help but smile!"

"Oh, thank you!" Erika said.

"Getting someone to smile and feel something during a song is real hard, but you were able to get all of us here to feel great, I reckon!" exclaimed Alfred. He turned to the audience, "Am I right, guys?" hearing the loud shouts of approval after, the American man chuckled and continued beaming to the young girl. "And you're fifteen, too! I would be so pumped to have you as part of my team!"

"Now hold on a second, _monsieur _Alfred," cut in Francine. "She is going to be a part of _my_ team."

"And what the bloody hell makes you say that, frog princess?" demanded Arthur.

"Hey, hey, hey! It's up to her!" shouted Sadik, noticing the nervous look on Erika's face. "So, who you want as your coach, Ms. Erika?"

Erika gulped, "O-oh, um…"

The Liechtenstein girl bit the bottom of her lip as she nervously looked at each of the four Judges. Sadik shrugged since he didn't turn around, Francine was smiling, Arthur had his arms crossed over his chest and Alfred gave a small nod at her direction.

"Oh…it's an honour to be able to perform in front of you, really," said Erika sincerely. "But…I'll have to go with Alfred."

The American was ecstatic, "Oh yeah! Hell yes!"

He then leapt out of his seat and he gave a big hug to the girl, even lifting her up, since she was so small and petite. Erika was blushing like mad, but smiled as she returned the hug. Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Dracul was slowly backing away from a seething Vash.

"He better not do anything more…" warned the Swiss man, his gun at the ready.

Dracul gulped, "Ah shit…Alfred better sleep with one eye open tonight…"

Erika waved goodbye to the four Judges and finally left the stage. She ran into the Waiting Roomand to her big brother, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back.

"You sang so beautifully," smiled Vash.

"Thank you, big _bruder_…" Erika replied.

"I'm so proud of you."

Erika beamed, "I couldn't have done anything without you."

Dracul was watching the entire thing, feeling extremely jittery and mushy. He sighed, "Ngaww…what a happy family!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

Dracul clicked his tongue and rubbed his hands together, "And now moving on! Our next contestant is seventeen-year-old high school student, Im Yong Soo!"

A young Korean boy with dark hair and sparkling brown eyes, wearing a fedora hat and a stylish jacket with the sleeves rolled, entered the scene. He had a funny curl poking out of his head as well and it appeared to have a face with it. He came in with a young Korean girl, her hair tied in a plait. She kept a serious expression as he was talking to her excitedly. Dracul then came up to the Korean boy and started the interview.

"Singing and performing are my life, da ze!" laughed the Korean boy. "I'm Im Yong Soo, and well…it's not only the thing that I love to do, but what I _want _to do for the rest of my life."

The girl with him, his older sister Tae Yeon, then spoke, "He's annoying, yes…but he's a wonderful performer believe it or not. I've been to all his performances at school; he's better than he looks, if only people would take him more seriously and give him a chance. Then again…I guess I can't blame them; he fools around too much."

Yong Soo sighed, "Yeah, I've been underestimated so many times because of how young I am and also because of how I act. But, I want to prove that I _am _serious in this one thing." His face then matched his tone, which surprised Dracul a lot.

Backstage, at the Preparation Room, Yong Soo was getting ready before going out on stage. He took a deep breath and fixed his hat in the mirror. He licked his bottom lip and was bouncing up and down on the heels of his converse shoes, getting himself pumped.

"If there's something that I love, I have no intention of letting it go, da ze," he said firmly. "I am dead serious when it comes to this. I want to sing, no, to _perform_ for you and for everyone. If even just _one_ judge turned around for me, I'd be so grateful, da ze. Really, I would."

The Korean boy then started walking onstage at the Performance Stage and calmly came up to the mike. The Judges were listening closely to see if there was anything that could give the singer away – such as whether they had heels on or not to determine if it was a woman…

Meanwhile, at the Waiting Room, Tae Yeon was now looking proudly at her brother with Dracul beside her. However, she was clasping her hands at her front rather tightly; so tightly that the knuckles were becoming white.

Dracul smiled, "You nervous for him?"

Tae Yeon gave a loud exhale, "Somewhat…but I wonder how the Judges will react; he sounds much more differently that what one would expect."

This made the Romanian host even more interested, "Oh, is that so? Well, let's see!"

Yong Soo then nodded at the musicians to start. A piano and a bass started playing in a calm yet slightly melancholic tone as the audience eagerly awaited to listen to the Korean boy's voice (you can't deny that he wasn't bad looking). The stage was shone with a soft, dark blue light. Yong Sooheld the mike in one hand and the stand with the other.

[Yong Soo]  
_Lately, I have had the strangest feeling  
__With no vivid reason here to find_

Much to everyone's surprise, including Dracul's, Yong Soo's voice was more mature and quieter; a gentle, soothing and sweet sound. The audience cheered out after hearing him sing the first few lines. Sadik's eyes were closed from behind his mask and he slightly moved his head as he listened carefully.

[Yong Soo]  
_Yet the thought of losing you's been hanging  
_'_Round my mind_

The Judges were each gazing carefully at their big and shiny, red buttons as Yong Soo continued. At the end of that verse, Arthur hummed a small run as the original artist would have done.

[Yong Soo]  
_Far more frequently you're wearing perfume  
__With you say, "No special place to go."  
__But when I ask, "Will you be coming back soon?"  
__You don't know, never know_

_Well, I'm a man of many wishes  
__Hope my premonition misses  
__But what I really feel my eyes won't let me hide  
_'_Cause they always start to cry  
_'_Cause this time could mean goodbye_

Alfred was singing silently along to the song and smiled in approval at the voice; however he didn't push his button. The audience continued cheering and whistling at the Korean as he sang. Yong Soo smiled at the audience as he continued onto the next verse – this was the sort of thing he wanted to do, and he loved it.

'_Just pour your emotions into the song, da ze,' _he told himself. _'They love seeing the reality in a performer – none of that fake stuff. They really wanna see the real thing! This is a painful love song, so just remember that sort of pain yourself, daze! Just remember…remember when she…'_

[Yong Soo]  
_Lately I've been staring in the mirror  
__Very slowly picking me apart  
__Trying to tell myself I have no reason  
__With your heart_

_Just the other night while you were sleeping,  
__I vaguely heard you whisper someone's name  
__But when I ask you of the thoughts you're keeping  
__You just say, "Nothing's changed."_

Arthur was stretching his arm in and out as he listened closely to Yong Soo's voice, contemplating on whether he could do anything with it. He stopped and scratched at his messy hair, unsure. Sadik and Francine were watching him closely.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Tae Yeon was understandably nervous – Yong Soo was close to the end of the song yet nobody had picked him yet. She clapped her hands over her mouth and stared wide-eyed at the Judges, silently pleading that they press their button, knowing that her brother would be absolutely heartbroken if they didn't. Dracul saw her clearly getting nervous and patted her back.

"Still not over yet!" reassured the Romanian host.

Tae Yeon nodded, "I know…I know…"

Yong Soo then took off his hat and started singing more passionately, but maintained the sweet and smooth sound, the experience he was trying to keep hold of now burning in his mind.

[Yong Soo]  
_Well, I'm a man of many wishes  
__I hope my premonition misses  
__But what I really feel my eyes won't let me hide  
_'_Cause they always start to cry  
_'_Cause this time could mean goodbye, goodbye_

Suddenly, a button sounded and the audience screamed out in delight as Sadik's chair turned around. The Turkish man was surprised at seeing a young teenage boy, but smiled as he listened. Yong Soo was delighted, but maintained himself from jumping in joy as he was still performing.

Back in the Waiting Room, Tae Yeon was ecstatic; she was jumping for joy, clapping and even held onto Dracul. The Romanian host was grinning as he patted the Korean girl's shoulder and fixed his little top hat because it became slightly askew due to her hopping about happily.

[Yong Soo]  
_Oh, well I'm a man of many wishes  
__I hope my premonition misses  
__But what I really feel my eyes won't let me hide  
_'_Cause they always start to cry  
_'_Cause this time could mean goodbye…_

At the very last word, Yong Soo did a very good run, which prompted Alfred to turn around in his chair. Sadik gave a bemused smirk in the young American man's direction as Alfred looked incredibly, yet pleasantly, surprised at seeing another teenager sing in such a way.

The song finally ended and Yong Soo was leaping for joy. After the huge amount of applause, he gave a bow as Francine's and Arthur's chairs turned around. Seeing Yong Soo, Francine became greatly distressed.

"_Sacre bleu_!" she exclaimed, seeing a handsome young boy.

Yong Soo waved at the Judges, though he was understandably nervous, "Hi!"

"So, who are you then, lad?" asked Arthur.

"I'm Im Yong Soo!" smiled the Korean boy. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kirkland!"

"Well, it's nice to see you have manners on you, unlike a _certain _git…" Arthur narrowed his eyes at Alfred's direction, causing the American to yell, "Get off my case already, dude!"

"I must say," continued Arthur. "That was a lovely rendition of Stevie Wonder's song."

"Thank you, da ze," grinned Yong Soo, feeling like he was walking on air.

"Now, the reason why I didn't turn around for you was that I wasn't sure what I could do with your voice," explained Arthur. "You've definitely got a voice, that's very obvious, but I don't think I'd be the right coach for you. Plus, you also strained that voice on various parts of the song – it sounded very forced."

Yong Soo nodded his head, "Okay, I understand. Thanks for listening and the criticism, da ze!"

"You really are a good lad," Arthur noted, smiling slightly. "You're under good hands."

"Like as _mon lapin _said…" Francine began, but was cut off.

"I am _not _your bloody rabbit!" snapped Arthur, flushing.

"…as he said, you will be under good hands," smiled the French woman. "It's a shame I didn't turn around – you _did _have a beautiful voice. And you also have looks that befit it, albeit…you look very young."

"How old are you, dude?" asked Alfred.

Yong Soo smiled, "I'm seventeen, da ze!"

"Wow dude, you're only seventeen…yet you sang like that?" marvelled Alfred. "Your voice was just not only so sweet, but it sounded _so_ beyond your years; as if you had experience to the lyrics' true meaning!"

Yong Soo nodded hesitantly, "Y-yeah…I recently have troubles with my girlfriend, so…yeah…"

Francine looked really sad for the Korean boy, "Aww…" the audience joined her, but the French woman then shook her head and lifted her head high, "Don't give up in _l'amour_, _me petite_!"

The audience screamed in agreement and approval of the French woman's words. Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Dracul turned to Tae Yeon. "That true?" he questioned Yong Soo's older sister.

Tae Yeon sighed as she nodded, "I'm afraid it is…but there's more…"

"What is it?" asked the Romanian host.

"She was…" the Korean girl bit her lip. "I saw her with…" but Dracul could take a hint, suspecting what she wanted to say.

"Say no more, miss," he said. _'Seems obvious when your sibling is dating a cheater,'_ the Romanian host thought to himself as he patted Tae Yeon's shoulder. Both then averted their gazes back at the screen to watch Yong Soo.

Sadik nodded, finally his turn to speak, "Not only that, I could also tell that you want this, man. You want this so bad. Whereas Arthur said you strained your voice at some bits, I could hear that that was more of raw emotion. The amount of emotion in your voice made everything real and you sounded…you sounded so vulnerable and believable."

Yong Soo nodded, his eyes shone even more as Sadik continued talking, "You want this, and you love what you do. _All_ singers shouldlove doing what they do, but the big difference between every singer is _if _they're willing to fight for what they want."

Alfred chuckled, "Totally smooth move there, Sadik. I agree with you, but would you really be the one that could help him fight all the way to the top?"

To this, the Turkish man gave a shrug, "We'll see."

"Ah, now _me petite_," Francine said. "Who would you like to be with?"

Yong Soo gasped, "Oh! Ah…"

The audience screamed names between Sadik and Alfred. The Korean boy exhaled and scratched his head with one hand while he held his fedora hat in the other as he licked his lips. "Well…I really must thank you guys first for listening; it's really an honour to perform to you; I seriously respect each and every one of you…" began the Korean boy.

Arthur shook his head, "The pleasure was all ours, lad."

"But…ah," Yong Soo sucked in some air from the corner of his mouth. "I'm gonna choose…"

Everyone was leaning forward, eagerly awaiting the Korean boy's answer.

"Sadik!"

The Turkish man was ecstatic upon his choice and came out of his chair as the audience cheered, screaming in joy and whistling. Yong Soo stepped down from the Performance Stage and the pair embraced.

"You want this so much, I can tell," noted Sadik.

"I do, da ze," murmured Yong Soo.

"And I can help you there."

Yong Soo grinned, "I know, da ze."

Like with his other chosen contestants (Agatha and Dmitri), Sadik raised Yong Soo'sarm in the air as the audience screamed even louder than before. As the Korean boy left, he got a handshake from Arthur, a hug from Francine (whose hands were trailing suspiciously downward until a certain British man wrenched them apart) and a bro hug from Alfred.

He then entered the Waiting Room where his sister was. The siblings ran to each other and hugged tightly.

"Sadik is just as passionate in music as I am," said Yong Soo. "He can really tell that I want this. Plus, he picked me first, and that matters a lot to me, da ze."

"And so our young performer in the making, Im Yong Soo, is happily a part of Team Sadik along with Agatha Clarkland and Dmitri Yektarina," Dracul smiled, moved from all the hugging. .

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

After the two Koreans have finally left after waving goodbye to Dracul and towards a restaurant that was serving kimchi, our Romanian host decided to have a rundown on the judges' teams.

"Okay, let's have a quick rundown on the team tallies, shall we?" Dracul cleared his throat. "First, we have Team Sadik with three members…" it suddenly showed shots of the performances of Agatha Clarkland, Dmitri Yektarina and Im Yong Soo, respectively. "Then we have Team Alfred with one Miss Erika Zwingli…" it showed a shot of Erika Zwingli and her performance. "And Team Francine with Ling Chun-Yan…" it finally showed a shot of Ling Chun-Yan and her gutsy performance. The Romanian host then added, "Meanwhile, Mr. Arthur Kirkland still doesn't have a single member on his team."

The Romanian host cleared his throat and shook his head, "There have also been quite a few…_letdowns_…"

Suddenly, a montage of singers is shown onscreen. First, there is a woman with dark hair and eyeliner who was singing a familiar song by a familiar female artist.

[Woman]  
_Some people want it all  
__But I don't want nothing at all!  
__If it ain't you baby  
__If I ain't got you, baby  
__Some people want diamond rings  
__Some just want everything  
__But everything means nothing  
__If I ain't got you…!_

However, none of the Judges turned their chair around for her. Francine gave a sad smile, "_Ma chére_, you have great power in your voice, but it sounded _far _too strained for my liking and it was pitchy at some points."

"Indeed, it _was_ quite pitchy," Arthur agreed. "You have to be careful with the higher notes there, dove. Those higher notes are definitely not child's play."

Next, it shows a middle-aged man with a goatee and a balding head. He is singing on a stage that is lit with brighter colours as he tried to get the Judges to turn around for him.

[Middle-Aged Man]  
_You light my morning sky with burning love!  
__I'm just a hunk, a hunk of burning love!  
__I'm just a hunk, a hunk of burning love!  
__I'm just a hunk, a hunk of burning love!_

Again, the Judges didn't turn their chairs around. When the performance was finally over, the middle-aged man looks understandably disappointed at the outcome. Sadik shrugged, "So sorry, brother, but…it just lacked that _one _outstanding moment. It was kept constant with no time for showing off your vocals whatsoever."

"There _was _a time for an outstanding moment," commented Arthur, looking strict. "But the notes there were very pitchy, good sir."

Finally, it shows a young man who is wearing clothes associated with that of a hipster. He was strutting around the stage like a peacock as he began singing on a stage that was then lighted a bright colour. He was singing a song that was dreaded by some members of the audience.

[Young Man]  
'_Cause you've got that one thing!  
__So get out, get out, get outta my head!_

The camera immediately pans to the Judge's comments. Arthur is _not _amused by the performance.

"I know that that band is very popular," said the British man, looking irritated. "But it doesn't do absolute justice to your voice. It was kept the same throughout the whole song and it was very flat."

"Whoa, whoa, Artie!" Alfred laughed. "You're being really mean, right now!"

Sadik shrugged, "He ain't being mean, Alfred; he's being realistic. I didn't see anything outstanding either – it was a bit too safe, in my opinion."

Francine sighed, "We're sorry, _ma chére_."

The montage then finished with Dracul entering the Performance Stage, rubbing his head. "Nice, huh?" he looked pointedly back at the Judges, who were having a short break. "And from all of that, Arthur still has zilch in his team."

Arthur was intently staring down at his button with a thoughtful expression. Francine noticed him, and was slightly concerned. "Is there something wrong, _mon cher_?" she questioned.

The British man shook his head, eyes still gazing down at the button. "Nothing really…" he grunted.

"Are you sure? Maybe you are deprived?" the French woman teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "How about we go backstage later when Dracul announces another break? Let us have a good time, _mon petite lapin_…"

Arthur flushed at the blatantly obvious innuendo, "Sod off!"

Dracul sighed, "Ah, who will finally be first to take part of the team of the picky Brit?"

"I heard that!" shouted said picky Brit. "Get out and do your job already, Dracul!"

The Romanian host heaved another sigh, "Geez…I'm so not paid enough for this…"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

This time, coming inside of the HetaVoice Building was an Italian man with dark brown hair that had a single wild curl bobbing from his right side. He also had fierce hazel eyes, olive skin and his hands were in the pockets of his black jacket that was lined with fur on the collar. He was also wearing form-fitting jeans and sneakers.

This man was accompanied with a younger Italian man who looked remarkably similar, but with much lighter hair and eye colour, a happier expression and the curl going to his left side.

There was also an older man with dark hair and _two_ curls accompanying them as well as a woman with olive skin, auburn coloured hair and gentle hazel eyes. She was holding the hands of two little kids who looked like miniature versions of the first two Italian men mentioned. The one with darker hair had a scowl while the one with lighter hair was chatting away excitedly.

"Maybe this next contestant can tempt our sexually repressed Brit judge to turn around? Here, we have 22-year-old culinary student, Lovino Vargas, who is accompanied here today with his supportive family," Dracul grinned.

Lovino meanwhile, was still remembering when he obtained his letter of acceptance to the Blind Auditions from the Romanian man, while at college…

_[FLASHBACK]_

_Dracul was whistling as he walked into a pristine building that led to the kitchens. Inside, people were working hard over their benches with various ingredients as a lecturer was roaming around, scrutinizing everyone. The Romanian host was scanning around until his eyes settled on a curl bobbing up and down and at a young Italian man who was chopping tomatoes._

"_Lovino Vargas!" called Dracul. _

_As soon as the name was called, everyone looked up and Lovino himself had his jaw dropped upon seeing who had called him._

_Dracul's grin stretched even wider as he approached the Italian and extended his arm out, red letter in hand, "I'm here for a quick order of tomatoes and at the same time, here to serve you _your _order of an invitation to the HetaVoice Blind Auditions!"_

"_Chigi!" the Italian was ecstatic, shocked and disbelieving all at the same time; this wasn't a dream, was it? "Are you fucking serious, bastard?"_

_Seeing that the Italian's face didn't match his words, Dracul decided to let it go. "Yeah! I'm fucking serious!" grinned the Romanian, deciding to have a go at cussing. "Here you go!"_

_As Lovino opened his letter, indeed, it read "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE INVITED TO THE HETAVOICE BLIND AUDITIONS!" the Italian couldn't be any happier and he was whooping in delight while everyone else around him were just completely shocked, seeing the Italian so delighted for the first time ever._

_[END FLASHBACK!]_

"I've performed…as a hobby rather than seriously when I was a kid," said Lovino as he was being interviewed by Dracul. "_Did _consider performing, but I decided to focus more on studying to be a cook…"

The young man with the lighter hair and eye colour was revealed to be Feliciano, one of Lovino's younger brothers. "Ve~ _fratello_ is amazing at singing!" said Feliciano happily. "I'm not really that good at it, and he always wins in karaoke! He's amazing!"

Lovino was waiting while his family were trying to help him calm down his nerves – it was a big deal to him after all.

Dracul then bent down to eye level to the chibi versions of Lovino and Feliciano. "Think your bro's gonna win this?" he asked with a smile at the children.

The chibi Feliciano, whose name was Veneziano, was bouncing up and down, "_Sí_! _Sí_! Definitely!"

Romano, the chibi Lovino, was nodding, looking determined, "_Fratello _will win this for sure!"

The older man and Lovino's grandfather, Romulus, then laughed, "He inherited the singing abilities of the family, but I think that's definitely fair – Feliciano is splendid at any kind of art be it sculpting or painting while Lovino is amazing at singing _and _dancing – he's quite the performer! Plus, they're _both _brilliant at cooking and getting women!"

Isabella, Lovino's mother, spoke fondly, "He used to lack so much confidence when he was a child. Now look at him, I'm so proud of him – I don't care if none of the Judges turn around; he can never disappoint me."

Backstage in the Waiting Room, Lovino was getting ready and hummed slightly to himself, checking his voice.

"Singing wasn't a serious thing to me until I was about…sixteen? Seventeen? Some shit happened…shit that I'd rather not say," Lovino trailed off, obviously whatever event it was that caused him to start singing more often was a painful one. "But…ever since then, music became more than just a hobby; it was comfort. I hope a judge would turn around…but I don't care if they don't either, I came this far and I _know_ that I _can_ sing to a degree…"

He started walking up onto the Performance Stage, starting to feel his nerves clench and unclench themselves in his stomach. He grabbed the mike from its stand and took a deep breath, calming himself down.

In the Waiting Room, Lovino's whole family were watching eagerly and anxiously with Dracul.

"Go _fratello_!" cheered Feliciano.

"_Sí_! You can do it!" cried Veneziano as he bounced up and down again.

"Shut up, _idiota_!" snapped Romano. "He hasn't even started yet!"

Romulus' eyes were watery, "So cool and handsome…just like me when I was his age…"

Isabella then sighed and gave a giggle as she saw Dracul's expression. "Yes, this pretty much happens every day," she smiled.

Dracul couldn't help but smile, too, "That's a pretty awesome family."

Lovino finally nodded to the musicians to start playing after eventually calming himself down. An acoustic guitar started to strum a few chords and a drumbeat quickly followed as well as an electric guitar and an electric keyboard. The stage was dimmed to a nice shade of yellow-green.

[Lovino]  
_I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing  
__I just pray to a God that I don't believe in_

The audience hooted at having the Italian man singing in a mature, alto voice like Lovino's. Alfred was looking contemplatively at his button while Francine was nodding her head.

[Lovino]  
'_Cause I got time while she got freedom  
__But when a heart breaks no it don't break even_

_Her best days are some of my worst  
__She finally met a man who's gonna put her first  
__While I'm wide awake, she has no trouble sleeping  
__And when a heart breaks no it don't break even, even…no_

Lovino held his diaphragm a few times as he gazed right at a certain point past the audience to control his nerves. The Judges were all contemplating as Sadik clapped his hands in rhythm to the song.

[Lovino]  
_What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?  
__And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay?  
__I'm falling to pieces,  
__I'm falling to pieces_

Arthur's eyes widened a bit and he leaned back on his chair as he shut his eyes and listened more closely. During the last line, Alfred joined Lovinoand sang along with it, knowing the song well. Lovino himself was walking slightly to the front of the stage as he performed.

"Oh!" called Alfred.

Lovino gave a smirk as the audience cheered, particularly the women. He toned down the intensity a bit to make the verse a bit softer, but still maintained a strong voice.

[Lovino]  
_They say bad things happen for a reason  
__But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding  
_'_Cause she's moved on while I'm still grieving  
__And when a heart breaks, no it don't break even, even…no_

_What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?  
__And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay?  
__I'm falling to pieces,  
__I'm falling to pieces  
__I'm falling to pieces  
__I'm falling to pieces_

Again, Alfred joined in on the last part of the chorus, causing Francine to laugh. Arthur was still clutching at his hair, contemplating whether or not he should push his button. Sadik simply smiled at the English man, then gazed at his own button, wondering. Francine then slumped down, wondering whether she should press her button, too.

[Lovino]  
_No, oh you got his heart and my heart and none of the pain  
__You took your suitcase, I took the blame.  
__I'm trying to make sense of what little remains, ooh  
__Because you left me with no love and honour to my name_

Motivated by the cheered cries, Lovino suddenly changed the hook slightly at the end, the note going higher slightly and held well.

Because of that change, Arthur finally slammed his hand down on his button. The chair swivelled around at once. When seeing Arthur turned around, Lovino couldn't help the smile as he was finally picked. The English man nodded at the Italian's performance as he continued watching.

Back in the Waiting Room, Isabel, Feliciano and Veneziano were cheering, clapping and jumping about in joy. Romano was grinning from ear-to-ear as he punched the air. Romulus laughed and patted Romano's hair, prompting a pout from the little boy. Dracul smiled at the family.

[Lovino]  
_I just pray to a God that I don't believe in  
_'_Cause I got time while she got freedom  
__And when a heart breaks, no it don't break even, even no…_

_What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?  
__And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay?  
__I'm falling to pieces,  
__I'm falling to pieces  
__I'm falling to pieces  
__I'm falling to pieces_

Again, Lovino changed the last part of the song, this time, with the last two lines, he ended them on different notes, but it caused the audience to scream in delight at the bold change.

Arthur was smiling at this artistic change, but before the song ended, Alfred had also pressed his button and his chair swivelled around. The song finally came to a close and the audience screamed in delight, clapping and applauding the Italian's performance.

Arthur glared, "Damn you, you bloody git."

Alfred just grinned at the English man as Francine's and Sadik's chairs turned around since they didn't press their buttons. Francine was entranced by the performer (a handsome man) and thus, she wailed in despair, "No! Nooooo~!"

Sadik gave a laugh while Lovino fixed some bangs out of his eyes. Francine slumped slightly and turned to Arthur and Alfred, "_Sacré bleu! _You are both lucky!"

Alfred just laughed, "So, what's your name, dude?"

"Lovino. Lovino Vargas," responded the Italian briskly.

Francine cooed before Alfred could continue, "What a lovely name you have! And, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two," Lovino answered in a much quieter and nicer tone.

Sadik noted, "You're close to Arthur's age man."

Arthur nodded, "That was a jolly good performance there. That song is really a challenge; especially during the chorus. Yet, you were able to hit the notes perfectly."

Lovino gave a nod in Arthur's direction, "_Grazie_. Thanks."

Alfred also nodded, "Yeah man, that is a hard song – a _really_ bold choice, but man, youwere able to do it in the end!"

"I especially love those changes you made at the notes during the last chorus and the hook," said Arthur. "That was a big matter of chance – those notes could have turned out rather ugly, but hey – you might have to take a risk in order to be brilliant, and here, it paid off. I would be interested to hear what kind of ideas you have, artistically."

Lovino was listening closely. He nodded in response, "Yeah, I hear you there."

Alfred laughed, "I'm known for taking risks! Risk is my middle name! We'll be doing awesome ideas together man!"

"Not so fast, you wanker," snapped Arthur. "I don't intend on letting this one go so easily – I picked him first after all."

"You may have picked him first, Artie – but I think he'll be a totally rad addition to my team!" grinned Alfred.

Before Arthur could argue, Francine quickly spoke up, "_Mon cher_! It's all up to you here!"

Lovino's eyebrows scrunched down as he scowled slightly, rubbing his chin as he began to think. The audience was calling out Alfred's and Arthur's names all round him, trying to influence his choice, but obviously having no affect. Arthur kept his gaze steady on the Italian man while Alfred was pointing at himself.

Back at the Waiting Room, Dracul turned to the Italian kids. "Who do you think your brother's going to pick? Or who do you want him to pick?" he questioned.

"Alfred's nice and funny!" beamed Veneziano. "He should go with Alfred!"

"No way!" snapped Romano. "Arthur looks like he seriously knows what he's doing! _Fratello _should go with him!"

"Ve~! Well, I think whoever he picks, he's gonna do _really_, _really _well!" Feliciano grinned as he placed a hand on both his younger brothers' heads, silencing them. Veneziano tilted his head while Romano pouted.

At the Performance Stage, Lovino then arched an eyebrow as he suddenly said, "Can I ask you both a question?"

"Sure, dude!" grinned Alfred. "What's up?"

"What would you be willing to do with me?" the Italian inquired. "What kind of an artist do you envision me to be?"

Alfred sat in a thinking position, and declared, "Well, I'd be willing to do anything with you! As for the kind of artist I think you'd be…well, after you join my team, I'd know!"

Lovino narrowed his eyes slightly, "Alright then…"

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Like Alfred, I'd be willing to do anything with you, but at the same time; I don't want to do anything to you that you don't like. As for the sort of artist that I think you'd be…well, what kind of an artist do _you_ want to be?"

Lovino was taken aback at the response that the British man had said, but quickly recovered, giving a nod. "I see…thanks for the answers, both of you," he responded.

"So, who's it gonna be?" Sadik questioned with a smile.

"Well…" the Italian licked his lips as he moved some bang that were covering some of his right eye. "I've been thinking really carefully and well…who I'm going to pick…I pick Arthur."

The English man's emerald eyes widened, and practically glowed as he heard his name while Alfred slumped in defeat. The British man gave a triumphant gesture while Lovino smirked. The pair then went up to each other and shook hands (since both weren't really huggers). Francine was laughing as she applauded the pair as was Sadik.

By the time Lovino left the Performance Stage, Arthur was in good spirits. He turned to see from the farthest end, that Alfred was pouting. "What the bloody hell is with that look, you wanker?" he asked.

"No fair, Artie!" whined Alfred. "I wanted him in my team!"

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Well too bad; he joined mine. When there's someone I _really _like the sound of, then you can definitely expect for me to fight hard for them." He paused, "You're not…_too _upset, right?"

Alfred then gave a good-natured laugh as he shook his head, "Nah, I feel great for you, though, dude. Congrats, bro!"

Meanwhile, Lovino was greeted with plenty of hugs, claps and words of praise as he entered the Waiting Room. Veneziano and even Romano had run up to him for a big hug, as they embraced his waist.

"_Fratello_!" Veneziano squealed as he clutched him tightly.

"You were kickass, _fratello_!" said Romano proudly, also clutching him tightly.

"Ve~! You were superb, _fratello_!" Feliciano grinned at his older brother.

"Bah! Come here, you _idiota_!" Lovino smirked, deciding to let his brother hug him for once. Needless to say, Feliciano was ecstatic at finally getting a free hug from his usually cranky older brother.

Isabella smiled as she came to hug and kiss her eldest son, "My Lovi~ even if you didn't get picked, I would still be so proud of you."

Romulus ruffled Lovino's hair (careful to miss the curl) and wrapped an arm around the young man's shoulder. "Lovi~ you would always do us proud! Today was no exception," he laughed.

Lovino felt much moved at his family's words and couldn't help the big grin that was spreading across his face. He sighed, "_Grazie_…_vi ringrazio tanto_…"

As the Italian family left the HetaVoice Building, Dracul sighed dreamily as he clasped his hands together, "It's nice to have a lovely family, isn't it? Well anyway, looks like now _everyone's _got at least one person on their team! Arthur just came into the game adding the unique and wonderful voice of Lovino Vargas to his team!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"Now," Dracul smiled. "People from all kinds of backgrounds have come to audition in hopes of being the first HetaVoice. You have humble people who work hard to rich people who barely have to lift up a finger for someone to do their bidding. But there're also people who _have _been included with celebrities before." He wriggled his eyebrows, "Cool, huh?"

He then pointed at the next contestant coming in, "Yup! This next contestant _has _had to do with the last point I said!"

The contestant that was coming in was a young Seychellois man with spiky black hair and tanned skin. He had bright brown eyes and a well-toned body, wearing a black shirt, jeans, thongs and a necklace consisting of a shark's tooth and pooka shells. He was smiling at an Egyptian girl who was very modestly dressed in white and beige as well as a Greek man with dark brown hair with a strange double ended curl protruding from his head as well as teal eyes, a white shirt, a brown jacket hanging off his shoulders and carrying a cat. Several more cats were following the Greek man as Dracul spoke on.

"Here, we have twenty-year-old, Mitchell Mancham, coming in with his best friends, Kiesha and Heracles!" announced Dracul. "However, there's actually more to this lifeguard than meets the eye…his full name is Mitchell Mancham Bonnefoy!" the Romanian host nodded with a grin, "That's right! Mitchell here is related to the famous performer, _Francis_ _Bonnefoy_!"

Mitchell entered the HetaVoice Building with Kiesha, Heracles and the cats. Dracul finally noticed that there were a lot of cats entering the building and tried to shoo them away but got stopped by Heracles.

"Leave them…they won't cause any harm; they're all well trained…" the Greek man said in a rather sleepy tone. Dracul left the cats alone after some hesitation and decided to interview Mitchell.

"My name is Mitchell Mancham – I'm twenty years old. Well…yeah, I'm related to Francis Bonnefoy…" the Seychellois man said, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"What's the relation?" Dracul asked. "You look nothing like him."

Mitchell flushed, "I'm his younger brother…his family adopted me when I was just a kid from overseas. I originally came from Seychelles. Francis is a great big brother, but a bit…perverted…"

Dracul nodded, sympathizing, "Yeah, I see."

"I've watched him perform for so many years and I wanted…I wanted to be just like him," here, Mitchell's brown eyes were suddenly shining. "I wanted to dance, sing and perform just like him, but…" he trailed off, looking sad. "I was always so scared when I was younger. That and now when I try to do it, people don't take me seriously because I'm related to him."

Kiesha, one of Mitchell's best friends then spoke in a quiet but monotonous voice, "He is actually very talented, but people don't take him as seriously as he hopes – they just see him as Francis' little brother…"

Heracles, Mitchell's other best friend, sighed as he stroked one of the kitties' heads, "It is…such a shame that nobody would be willing to give Mitchell a chance…he's been used so many times…he's also been taken for granted…never given the chance to show what he's really capable of…"

Mitchell sighed as he entered the Preparation Room. He cleared his throat and nodded his head up and down a little as his foot tapped in rhythm. "This is the only chance I'll get to be able to be heard seriously. I don't want to take the easy way into music or performing – I want to work hard for that," he said firmly. "I want people to see and take me seriously."

He finally exited the Preparation Room and onto the Performance Stage where the lights were now glowing yellow. Meanwhile, back in the Waiting Room, Kiesha and Heracles were watching their friend anxiously.

"This is…very huge…" breathed Kiesha as she watched the Seychellois boy go onto the Performance Stage near the mike.

Heracles nodded as his cats were watching on their rumps. "I have goose-bumps…" he agreed.

Back at the Performance Stage, Mitchell fixed the mike's stand to reach his height and cleared his throat with a nod, signalling that he was ready to perform. A soothing and gentle piano is played along with a steady drum-beat that resembled a heart's pulse.

[Mitchell]  
_Remember those walls I built?  
__Well, baby they're tumbling down  
__They didn't even put up a fight  
__They didn't even make a sound_

Alfred gave a loud, "Oh!" as the audience cheered at Mitchell singing and his choice of song. Francine was smiling from ear-to-ear as she nodded in approval and started clapping in rhythm to the song.

Mitchell held the mike slightly in one hand as he leaned closer and sang in his smooth R&B type of voice, smiling at the audience as he performed, feeling encouraged from their cheering. He then grabbed the mike from its stand and started walking around the Performance Stage as he continued singing.

[Mitchell]  
_I found a way to let you in  
__But I never really had a doubt  
__Standing in the light of your halo  
__I've got my angel now  
__  
It's like I've been awakened  
__Every rule I had you breakin'  
__It's the risk that I'm taking  
__I don't ever wanna shut you out!_

Francine's eyes then widened as she listened more closely to the performance. "Hold on…_mon dieu_!" she exclaimed, looking excited. "I…I think I know who that is!"

The other three judges looked at her like she was crazy; Alfred was really confused, Arthur was scowling as he was trying to block out her calling so he can debate whether or not he should press his button, while Sadik was shocked.

Francine then hit her button and it immediately swivelled around. She gasped when she saw the performer as he reached the hook. "_Mon dieu_!" screamed Francine, both happy yet shocked; she still couldn't believe that Francis' little brother was come performing just now – her and Francis were good friends after all. She was clutching at her head as she had stood from her seat.

Mitchell simply smiled as he continued on with his performance as the audience screamed in approval while Francine laughed in delight, leaning back in her chair.

[Mitchell]  
_Everywhere I'm looking now  
__I'm surrounded by your embrace  
__Baby, I can see your halo  
__You know you're my saving grace  
__You're everything I need and more  
__It's written all over your face  
__Baby, I can feel your halo  
__I pray it won't fade away_

_I can feel your halo  
__Your halo, if I can see your halo  
__Your halo, if I can feel your halo  
__Your halo, your halo_

Alfred and Sadik were looking at Francine who was now really enjoying the performer. She smiled at the two men, "I know him."

Back in the Waiting Room, Kiesha was clapping a lot for her friend who already had someone pick him. Heracles was smiling like the Cheshire cat while his kitties were purring. Dracul was smiling too.

[Mitchell]  
_You hit me like a ray of sun  
__Burning through my darkest night  
__You're the only one that I want  
__  
And I'm addicted to your light  
__I swore I'd never fall again  
__But this don't even feel like falling  
__Gravity can't begin to pull be back to the ground again_

_It's like I've been awakened  
__Every rule I had you breakin'  
__It's the risk that I'm taking  
__No, I'm never gonna shut you out!_

_Everywhere I'm looking now  
__I'm surrounded by your embrace  
__Baby, I can see your halo  
__You know you're my saving grace  
__You're everything I need and more  
__It's written all over your face  
__Baby, I can feel your halo  
__I pray it won't fade away_

_I can feel your halo  
__Your halo, if I can see your halo  
__Your halo, if I can feel your halo  
__Your halo, your halo_

Arthur cupped his hand to his ear as he listened closely to the singer, ignoring Sadik and Alfred's questions to Francine, who refused to give any information on their mystery performer who had elicited a great reaction from her.

"Hey Arthur, who do you think it could be?" Sadik asked the British gentleman. However, he was ignored. The Turkish man sighed, "Man…sorry I ignored you earlier, but that doesn't mean you gotta ignore me!"

"Artie!" Alfred called, but he was also blatantly ignored. The American pouted, "Artie!"

Arthur paid no attention to his fellow Judges as he stroked at the red button's surface, still contemplating whether or not he should press it.

[Mitchell]  
_Ohh…your halo  
__Ohh, ohh, ohhh…  
__Ohh, ohh, oh…  
__Ohhh…_

_Everywhere I'm looking now  
__I'm surrounded by your embrace_

The hook and chorus were contrasted greatly – soft then strong. Arthur pressed his button and thus, his chair turned around. The British man blinked in surprise at seeing Francis' younger brother singing, but smiled a little; Mitchell was nothing at all like Francis.

_[Mitchell]  
__Baby, I can see your halo  
__You know you're my saving grace  
__You're everything I need and more  
__It's written all over your face  
__Baby, I can feel your halo  
__I pray it won't fade away_

_I can feel your halo  
__Your halo, if I can see your halo  
__Your halo, if I can feel your halo  
__Your halo, your halo_

_Ohhhh…oohh…ohhh…oh…_

The audience cheered and screamed in delight after his performance; Francine was clapping her hands while Arthur stood to join her, also applauding his performance. The chairs of Sadik and Alfred swivelled around and they applauded Mitchell, too. Mitchell smiled with a slight flush on his tanned face as he gave a bow to the judges and to the audience for listening.

Francine shrugged at her fellow judges, "I know this boy." Once the screaming died down to a minimum, the Judges sat back down and Francine beamed even more, "I _would _ask your name, _mon cher_, but I believe I already know it." Mitchell laughed as the French woman continued, "Mitchell. Mitchell…"

"Yes?" the Seychellois boy asked with a small smile himself.

The French woman turned to the audience, "You all knew right away, didn't you?"

The audience responded in unison with a very loud, "YES!"

Francine sighed, "The moment you started singing, I was like, _'Mon dieu, that voice is lovely…'_ but then I went, _'wait a minute_…_wait a second…hold everything!_', and then I turned around and see you performing like an angel!"

Mitchell blushed at the compliment and bowed his head in respect, the mike still present in his hand as Francine continued to talk. "And being one of your big brother's best friends, I just can't tell you how ecstatic I was to see you," finished Francine.

"Thank you," Mitchell responded with another respectful nod. "Thanks."

"By the way we're talking about Francis Bonnefoy," Francine explained to a confused looking Alfred and Sadik. "Francis Bonnefoy's little brother here."

Sadik gave an, "Ah!" of surprise and recognition while Alfred immediately jerked from his spot, "Whoa! My other French buddy! I'm friends with your big bro, dude!"

Mitchell chuckled, "Yeah, he told me that."

"Yeah, he's my pal!"

Mitchell then pouted, "But you didn't turn around, Alfred…" he then placed a hand on top of his heart, feigning hurt. "You didn't turn around…why? I'm really cut…"

The audience laughed and cheered at the awkward position that Alfred was put in. The American cried, "No! No! Listen, dude – me not turning around has nothing to do with me thinking you're crap or anything like that! You have an amazing voice; it obviously runs in the family; you guys also got the looks and are just awesome guys in general! So, obviously I'm totes happy you've made it through because you're really cool to watch. So congratulations, man! Congratulations!"

Mitchell smiled after laughing from before, "Thanks, man. That means so much to me. Thank you."

"Yo Mitchell!" called Sadik. The Seychellois boy turned to face the Turkish man who continued, "That was sensational; you just practically killed that song and I feel kinda stupid for not pressing that button!" he then jabbed at it a few times with the heel of his foot, warranting a laugh from Mitchell and the audience. He then stopped and laughed, "But you're in really good hands with one of these two."

"Thank you so much," said Mitchell. "I really appreciate that."

The audience cheered again as Arthur was finally given his chance to speak. The British man cleared his throat and gave a small smile, "Welcome Mitchell, lad."

"Thanks."

"Really good performance," the British man then paused and licked his lips, trying to find the right words. "Um…"

"Here it comes," Alfred whispered to Francine, who smiled back. "He uses some psychology shit like Sadik."

"I thought your performance was good tonight," Arthur said slowly, trying to word what he was thinking properly. "I'm…not exactly sure just _what _it was at the beginning of the song. It was as if…as if you couldn't find what you were trying to convey in that song."

Mitchell nodded, looking more serious as he accepted the British man's criticism, but that was when Arthur continued with something more positive, "But, I _did _see you chase after it; you decided that you _weren't _going to be denied and you went and got it. I turned around and…"

"It's happening! This time with _monsieur _Arthur!" exclaimed Francine. "Poor innocent Mitchell is gazing into _mon lapin's _eyes. Stop already!"

The audience, Mitchell, Sadik and Alfred let out a huge bout of laughter as Arthur rolled his eyes and scowled; not happy with being interrupted.

"Yeah whatever, you can go with frog princess over there if you want," Arthur threw a dirty look in Francine's direction. "It's fine, but if you go in _my_ team, I'm interested in one thing and one thing only; making _you _bloody brilliant. Okay?"

Mitchell nodded, taking Arthur's words to heart, "Alright, thank you. Thank you so much."

The audience screamed in approval at Arthur's words while Francine wailed, "No!"

Sadik quickly spoke up, "It's up to you, stud! Your choice here!"

"Wait, wait! I have to ask!" Mitchell called before the audience could drown him out with their screams. "When you hear and see me…when you hear and see me as an artist, what exactly do you see for me?" he looked at Arthur first, his brown eyes boring into Arthur's green ones.

"I see a diamond in the rough," responded Arthur. "Simple poetry dove. You have the thing that is difficult to take a hold of. You can sing definitely, but what you have is something rather special, I believe. It's something that captures everyone's interest. I want to help you communicate that out to everyone."

"Okay, I'll give it to you straight, _me petite_," spoke up Francine before Arthur could fully win over the Seychellois man. "The reason why I think you should be with me is because I think we can just make this easy and I think we can take it to the top. It won't be hard."

Arthur rolled his eyes, looking rather annoyed while Sadik was laughing and Alfred was stifling his giggles. Francine then turned to Arthur, "_Je t'aime, mon petite lapin_, but I _have _heard Arthur say this before with his first contestant – a very handsome Italian man. And here's the difference; I _naturally _understand your spirit; we can make this happen together, it will be a very easy ride for us. I need you! I would do _anything _when I love something!"

"That is a _truly_ lovely pitch," Arthur said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But there is something that really doesn't work with me when you say that – she keeps saying that this stuff is _easy_! But obviously it _won't _be bloody easy!"

"That's if he goes with you, _mon petite lapin_! It _won't _be easy then!"

"Would you let me talk already?!" Arthur snapped, getting irritated as the audience cracked up laughing while Alfred and Sadik just cackled. The American man even ran up to Sadik's chair and the pair high-fived each other. Alfred ran back to his seat straight after.

Arthur turned to Mitchell, "Excuse me there, lad. Anyway, what you will get from me is that I will make you work – work very bloody hard. But once you come out from that work; the results are _very_ much worth it, and you will also stand a good chance of winning in my team. I won't lie though; the other contestant in my team so far, is also willing to work tooth and nail. You would have to be as willing to work as hard as him."

Mitchell exhaled as he responded with his explanation for auditioning, "Honestly, in my entire life, I've never had to make such a decision like this. The whole reason why I'm doing this is to show that despite who my brother is, despite who Francis is, I want people to see and know that I'm willing and wanting to work so hard to achieve this. To work so hard."

The audience scream out and cheer as they start calling names of the judges who had picked him. Mitchell bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair as he looked at an upward direction, contemplating his choice.

Alfred then stood from his seat and motioned towards Arthur, "Artie…" the English man scowled at his nickname as Alfred motioned towards Francine, "Or Francine?"

Mitchell cleared his throat, signalling the audience to quieten down a little, "I…I have to go with what my gut is telling me. Francine, you're such an amazing and beautiful person and such an incredible artist, but…"

Francine nodded with her eyes shut, knowing very well by now who the Seychellois boy was going to pick.

"I'll have to go with Arthur."

The French woman leaned back on her seat, clearly disappointed while in the Waiting Room, Kiesha exhaled. Heracles nodded, looking rather impassive while Dracul gave a chuckle, "Wow…that was so tense there!"

Mitchell had run down from his place on stage to Arthur who had decided to walk up to him from his chair. The Seychellois man then embraced the English man; Arthur looked really taken aback at first, but returned it; hesitant at first, but accepting after a second or so.

"Thank you so much," Mitchell said. "I really appreciate it…"

"Remember what I told you, okay?" Arthur broke away from the embrace with a rather soft smile, which surprised Mitchell a little. "You showed me what you got and what you were willing to do. We will do it – we will strive high and work for it."

Meanwhile, Francine watched the pair and sighed, "_C'est la vie_…nothing I can really do about it…"

"Awww, cheer up Francine!" Alfred said, feeling bad for the French woman.

Sadik gave her a sad smile, "That was a rough one."

The French woman nodded, "_Oui_…"

"Wanna hug?" the Turkish man spread his arms out in offer. Seeing the French woman's nod, Sadik got out from his chair and walked over to the French woman, gathering her in a warm embrace. The audience gave a loud _'awww…_' at the affectionate scene.

Once the pair pulled apart, Mitchell walked up to Francine's chair with Arthur close by him. The Seychellois boy gave her a sad smile, "Francine, I'm really sorry I didn't choose to be on your team."

Francine waved a dismissive hand, "No, no _mon cher_. This is a competition and after all, the fault should be mine – I said the wrong things to you while _mon petite lapin _here said the _right_ things. I am overjoyed though that you are part of the Voice." She gave him a warm smile and leaned down to embrace him.

Mitchell waved goodbye to everyone as he left the Performance Stage and into the Waiting Room where he was taken aback when Kiesha suddenly sprinted forward and wrapped her arms around him. The Seychellois man smiled and hugged her back, "You don't usually ask for hugs," he mused.

"That must have been a tough decision," replied the Egyptian girl in a soft voice.

Mitchell nodded, "It was…I was so torn."

Heracles smiled and patted Mitchell's shoulder, "You performed well…and Francine looks to be taking things fine, too."

Mitchell couldn't help but smile at watching the screen where Francine was now chatting to Arthur, looking rather sore, but not as upset anymore.

"_Mon petite lapin_, you are very lucky to have him as a part of your team," Francine said sincerely.

Arthur rubbed the back of his head as he nodded, "Yes, yes, I know; he's a charming lad." He then added in a hesitant and quiet voice, "Are you…okay?" she was still a lady after all, no matter how perverted.

Francine suddenly gave a big smile, "Are you actually worried for my feelings and wellbeing, _monsieur_ _lapin_?"

Arthur flushed, "D-don't be absurd! Of course not! It's just that…you looking so down, it would worry Mitchell!"

Francine laughed as she suddenly leaned over to Arthur's chair, "Whatever you say, _mon petite lapin_~." All of a sudden, she leaned over even more and before Arthur could say another word, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

The audience erupted into screams and cheers of delight while others gave a loud _'ooh~!_' someone even wolf-whistled. Alfred's jaw dropped while Sadik was laughing his head off, "Arthur man! You're all red!"

Arthur's jaws were flapping up and down, his face resembling that of the inside of the Union Jack on his shirt. No words escaped from his mouth as he continued gaping at the French woman who was still grinning.

Mitchell smiled again, feeling great that Francine was feeling much better from before.

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

Dracul cleared his throat as the camera zoomed in, "And now we reach our final audition for today!" he turned his head around and this time, it revealed to be a young girl.

A girl with pale blonde hair that was tied into two long, slightly curled pigtails. She was wearing a hooded red coat with maple leaves printed on the sides and a plaited skirt worn underneath it. She also had a cute little red beret sitting on her head. Her eyes were a light purple and what was walking alongside her seemed to be a white polar bear cub with a flower on its head.

The girl was also accompanied by a tanned heavyset Cuban man with dark hair tied back into dreadlocks. He was wearing a floral print shirt and shorts. He had an arm around her and the two were smiling as they entered the building.

"Meet recently graduated Madeleine Williams!" Dracul grinned as he approached the pair.

Madeleine blushed a little as she was interviewed, "The HetaVoice…it is a really nice concept. I love to sing…but…" she trailed off here.

The Cuban man, her boyfriend Carlos, clenched his hand into a fist and snarled, "Everyone was so mean to her! At school, at work experience…everyone ignored her! Even though she's the sweetest soul ever, not one person even saw that the voice was coming from her! They just either laugh at the suggestion or they forget about her. She's so underappreciated and it pisses me off so much!"

"How could you even forget someone?" Dracul asked, feigning confusion. "I mean, I just said her name and I know what she looks like! She's standing right there with a bear!"

Carlos snapped, "Exactly! I don't get it, either!"

Dracul sighed, "I guess people are getting stupider nowadays…especially people in high school…" he quickly looked at the camera, his red eyes widened. "No offense to any high school students watching this! I didn't mean what I said!" he added hastily. "I ain't hating on you!"

Madeleine sighed, "Well…I'm glad I was able to make it here; I want to show and give the world my voice. I want everyone to know it's me – the quiet and shy maple loving girl from Ottawa, Canada."

The blonde girl was backstage in the Preparation Room and was trying to calm her nerves. She swallowed and looked in the mirror, adjusting her beret.

"People never paid attention to me; they ignored me and I was afraid of showing my true colours. Well, today's the day I'm going to show everyone what I'm really made of, eh."

She began making her way to the Performance Stage where the lights were now dimmed the colour of a lovely violet. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she stood at the centre with the mike. She took it from its stand and clasped it in both hands, getting very shy at the amount of people in the audience.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Carlos, Dracul and Madeleine's pet polar bear cub, Kumarie, were watching the screen.

Carlos couldn't help but smile, "She's so beautiful…"

Kumarie tilted her head and stared up at the Cuban man, "Who?"

The Cuban man frowned, "You're freaking owner, Madeleine!"

The Romanian man stared down at the polar bear cub, incredulous that the animal didn't even know the name of its own owner. He shook his head as he patted Carlos' shoulder.

Back at the Performance Stage, Madeleine was trying hard to calm her nerves as they were a bundle of wreck. She swallowed again, trying to collect herself.

The Judges were now getting anxious from the slightly delay.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" wondered Arthur.

Sadik shrugged, "Someone might be trolling us? I dunno, Arthur…"

Alfred whimpered, "I-it's not…it's not a ghost that came in here…r-right?"

Arthur snapped, "Don't be silly, you wanker! I doubt a ghost would come in here and do a Blind Audition!' he added to himself. "_Why _would a ghost even come here?"

Francine smiled and patted Alfred's arm, "Do not worry, _monsieur _Alfred. I'm sure that the singer will start soon."

"Y-yeah…"

Suddenly, a lovely piano was played on an even tempo, prompting the Judges to stop with their rambling. Indeed, Madeleine had finally calmed down her nerves and began singing.

[Madeleine]  
_Quand il me prend dans ses bras,  
__Il me parle tout bas  
__Je vois la vie en rose,  
__Il me dit des mot d'amour  
__Das mots de tous les jours,  
__Et ca me fait quelques choses_

Francine's eyes widened as the lyrics that were sung forth were from her beloved home country. Sadik arched an eyebrow – he didn't think that someone would ever sing a song from another language before. But they were pretty damn good.

Alfred jumped at first from hearing the piano, but at once calmed down while listening to the singer perform – it was a sweet yet gently firm voice. Arthur was disgruntled at the fact that the singer was singing French, but he had to grudgingly admit – they had a lovely voice.

A soft viola and cello began to accompany the piano, adding a soft and heavenly atmosphere. Madeleine was starting to feel much better and pressed forth.

[Madeleine]  
_When you press me to your heart  
__I'm in a world apart  
__A world where roses bloom  
__And when you speak, angels fly from above  
__Everyday words seem to turn into love songs_

The sound of a button being pressed was heard and the audience screamed in delight when Francine's chair swivelled around. Arthur rolled his eyes – he expected the French woman to turn around first.

"Hey Francine, what does she look-?" Alfred began, but stopped when he was shocked to see that the French woman was now in tears. The American man was alarmed by this and he motioned at Sadik and Arthur.

His fellow male Judges turned to look at him and then at Francine. They were just as astonished as he was to see that she was in tears. Arthur was very amazed – Francine _never _cried.

Sure she could be disappointed and dismayed, but never had the English man seen her shed a tear before.

[Madeleine]  
_Hold me close and hold me fast  
__This magic spell you cast  
__La vie en rose_

Sadik's curiosity got the better of him – he also pressed his button. It swivelled around at once, causing great cheer among the audience. The Turkish man smiled at seeing the bespectacled blonde on stage sing while her eyes were closed. Sadik chuckled and gave a warm smile.

Alfred was staring at his two fellow Judges, wandering now who the mysterious performer was. He cupped his hands around his ear and listened closely. Arthur, being the stubborn Brit that he was, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his chair.

[Madeleine]  
_Thought that love was just a word  
__That's sang about in songs I heard  
__It took your kisses to reveal  
__That I was wrong and love is real_

Francine had clasped her hands over her heart as beautiful memories flashed through her mind. She was there in her little cottage in Paris, she was tending to roses in her garden, and she could feel the sun shine on her face as she waved at the young man who lived next door.

That young man tenderly smiled as he jumped over the gate and held her hand as they walked around the garden. He kissed her a couple of times as they embraced, the sun now going to sleep for the day while the moon came to take over for a while.

Seeing the tears and smile that spread onto the French woman's face, Alfred's curiosity soon peaked past the norm and now he _had _to see who this singer was. Even Sadik wasn't saying a word or doing any actions! The Turkish man was just sitting there.

The American man pressed his button and it swivelled around, causing the applause and cheers to become even louder. He broke into a grin when he saw Madeleine singing, still with her eyes closed. Alfred grinned, "Aw…she's covering her eyes. So cute!"

[Madeleine]  
_Hold me close and hold me fast  
__This magic spell you cast  
__This is la vie en rose_

_When you kiss me heaven sighs  
__And though I close my eyes  
__I see la vie en rose_

_When you press me to your heart  
__I'm in a world apart  
__A world where roses bloom_

_C'est lui pour  
__Moi, moi pour lui dans la vie  
__Il me l'a dit, l'a jure pour la vie_

_Yeah…_

Sadik was tapping at Arthur. The English man looked very annoyed. "What, you wanker?" he demanded.

"Seriously?" Sadik looked disgruntled. "Just because she's singing French? That's really low, Arthur. I mean, she's singing English, too!"

The Brit said nothing as he gazed down at his button. He then looked around at the audience and saw that people themselves were close to tears, some were even shed. Needless to say, Arthur's curiosity began to escalate…

[Madeleine]  
_Give your heart, your soul, to me  
__And life will always be…  
__La vie en rose_

Before the song could finish however, Arthur had pressed his button with his index finger and it swivelled around at once. The audience erupted into screams of delight and by the end of the performance; Madeleine's face was the same colour as her beret. She curtsied when the four Judges stood up and applauded her performance.

"Yo, dudette!" Alfred called when the cheering subsided. "Hey! What's your name?"

"Madeleine," the Canadian girl said with a shy smile. "Madeleine Williams."

"Totes nice to meet you; you have skills, girl!" Alfred grinned. "Your voice was so soft and sweet and it really made me feel all jittery and fluffy! It was such a beautiful performance!"

"T-thank you," Madeleine responded.

"I think I'm in love!"

Meanwhile, back in the Waiting Room, Carlos was seething at what the American man had said. Dracul tried to restrain him, but it obviously proved to be difficult – the Cuban man _was _much larger and heavier than he was.

"That son of a bitch!" Carlos roared. "Don't you _dare _think of stealing _my _girl!"

"H-hey! Calm down! Don't make me call security!" piped up a now wheezing Dracul.

"Um, I'm sorry, but…I've already got a boyfriend," Madeleine said, looking a bit uneasy with Alfred's flirting.

The mention of the last word threw Alfred in despair. He cried, "Nooo~! Been shot down! So not cool!" some of the audience laughed as did Sadik, but others gave a loud _'awww'_ at the American man's rejection, which included Francine.

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Daft twit…you'll get your chance at love _one _day, just not _today_."

Alfred sighed, but a grin plastered back onto his face, "Yeah! You're totes right, Artie! Well, anyway…even though you still rejected me, I would so love you to be on my team! You're just so…angelic! That's it! Your voice was beautiful and everyone was so awed by it!"

"He's right, you know," Sadik spoke up with a smile as well. "That voice…it was very enchanting – such beautiful tone. I think _any _of us would be lucky to have you as part of their team."

Madeleine blushed at the Turkish man's words, "T-thank you…"

"Hey! Don't use your psychological crap on her!" called Alfred. "You're confusing the poor dudette! You're tempting her in, you sly bastard!"

Sadik laughed, "What are you trying to say? It's called being _honest_, bro. I _honestly_ loved her voice and I _honestly_ think I have enough space for her in my team."

Arthur nodded, "We all have enough space. Frankly, I heard you get nervous in the beginning a few times. I'll be sincere…I'm not a big fan of the song…but well, here I am! I turned for you because though I didn't believe the lyrics of the song, I believed in you. You and _your _voice."

Madeleine flushed even more, "T-thank you so much, Arthur."

Alfred wailed, "No! Don't use your psychological crap on her, too! Francine! My French buddy, help me out here! Stop them!"

The audience cracked up laughing as did Sadik and Madeleine simply gave a weak smile. Francine though, seemed very deep in thought. She cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention, and spoke in a clearer voice.

"_Ma chére_, it is one thing to please an audience with your voice and have them love you. It is another to make them feel even the slightest thing from you. And from your performance…I must say that you brought me back home…"

The three male Judges were silent when they gazed at the French lady; obviously she was affected by the performance and it showed – her violet eyes were still slightly red, and her smile wasn't teasing, but rather a radiant and real one.

"That voice…it has the gift to enchant and bring back even the most beloved memories, I believe," Francine continued. "Your voice holds emotion and tells a beautiful story, giving us all a pleasure to hear. As of the three other Judges here…" she looked at the men in question. "I will be honoured for you to join my team. But ultimately, the choice is up to you."

The Canadian girl gulped when the audience began chanting names. She was looking at the four of them carefully, one-by-one. Her own violet eyes widened and she pushed her glasses up, back on their perch. "Um…" she bit her lip.

Back at the Waiting Room, Carlos had finally calmed down, much to Dracul's delight. The Romanian host was still panting – restraining Carlos really took a lot of wind out of him. The Cuban man stared down at him. "What's up with you?" he asked, a little concerned.

"N-nothing…" Dracul wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Just that you're hard to restrain…"

Carlos reddened, "Are you calling me fat?"

Dracul stopped panting, "What? No! I didn't call you fat!"

"But you were implying it, weren't you?"

"Hey, you said it, man, not me!"

Carlos sighed and rubbed his belly, "I guess…I _should _lay off the ice-cream…" he sighed. "Maybe I'll hopefully become thinner and be a much hotter looking boyfriend for Maddie…"

Kumarie suddenly looked up from her spot. "Who?" the polar bear asked.

Carlos sighed, exasperated, "Madeleine. You know: your _owner_?"

Dracul patted the Cuban man's shoulder, "Hey, don't worry too much! I mean, your girlfriend rejected _Alfred F. Jones_ for ya! Heh, doesn't that count for something?"

Carlos stopped and stared at the screen. Then, he began smiling again, evidently feeling much better from the Romanian host's words. "Yeah, you're right!" he then gave a dreamy sigh. "Isn't she wonderful?"

Suddenly, the audience screamed in delight, causing the two men to stop and stare at the screen.

"What the hell just happened?" questioned Carlos, confused.

Dracul shrugged, "I dunno…" they peered closer and finally the Romanian host gave a gasp. "Oh! Madeleine already picked which Judge she wants as her Judge! She picked…she picked Francine!"

Carlos gave a loud triumphant yell of _'Yes!'_ and he instantly grabbed Dracul, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug. Dracul began choking as he was squeezed tightly by the heavy-set Cuban man.

Back in the Performance Stage, Francine embraced the Canadian girl with a smile. "_Ma chére_," she said softly. "You truly are as what _monsieur _Alfred described you. You are an angel."

Madeleine was flushing a lot from the compliment (a compliment by a beautiful female artist and actress like Francine, no less!). "_Merci beaucoup_," the Canadian said, smiling herself.

Francine gave a laugh, "I am really looking forward to working with you, _ma chére_. I cannot wait."

Alfred suddenly leapt out of his seat and gave Madeleine an embrace. The Canadian girl was shocked at the very least; she awkwardly looked at the American man and gave a strained smile. Sadik and Francine were laughing as were many members of the audience while others gave a loud _'awww'_.

Arthur suddenly rose from his seat and began pulling Alfred away by his ear. The American man yelped, "Ow, ow, ow! Artie, stop that! That hurts like hell, man! Seriously, _oww_!"

The British man rolled his eyes, "Suck it up and take it like a man, you git. No pain, no gain!"

Madeleine couldn't help but laugh herself, too as she silently thanked the Brit for pulling Alfred off of her – seriously, she had a boyfriend right now.

Speaking of which, when she entered the Waiting Room, she couldn't help the scream of delight as did Carlos. The Cuban man immediately picked her up and held her high in his strong arms. The two gave little Eskimo kisses as Carlos grinned, "You did it! I knew you could!"

Madeleine smiled, "I couldn't have done it without you watching me."

Carlos laughed, "Always! I love you, my little maple leaf."

The Canadian girl giggled, "And I love you, my strong and big bear."

"Maddie…you're the best!"

Kumarie looked up, tilted her head and asked innocently, "Who?"

"Madeleine!" Carlos, Madeleine and Dracul said in exasperated unison. They all laughed as they realised they all said it together. The couple left the HetaVoice Building shortly after; Carlos having an arm around the bespectacled blonde, while Madeleine lay on his strong shoulder. Kumarie simply walked at the side of the pair on all fours.

Dracul sighed after waving goodbye to them. "Such a sweet couple, don't ya think?" he asked to nobody in particular. He drooped slightly, "Man…I wish _I _was in a relationship like that. Minus Carlos' violent streak, of course." The Romanian host rubbed his chin, deep in thought, then realized that the camera was on the whole time.

'_Shit! Did that thing record what I just said? Crap!'_

Nonetheless, the Romanian host gave a big, bright and fanged grin as he tried to cover up his true thoughts. "Well, that's it for today! Tune in next time folks to see _more_ amazing voices and more _amazing _stunts that the Judges will pull in order for the contestants to join their team! I'm your host, Dracul Dalca. Now, have a good night, everybody!" he tipped his hat off to the camera as a voice over is made, concerning the next episode.

…

…

…

"Tune in on our next episode where more and more stronger voices are introduced onstage!" Dracul's voice-over announced. It suddenly showed a female Danish woman singing with a black stage that flashed white lights with her mouth open as she sang.

"And be prepared to see the Judge's duke it out on one another as they try to fill up the rest of the spots on their teams!" it then showed a scene where both Alfred and Sadik were getting out of their chairs and standing on them. Alfred then tried to climb onto the top of his chair.

It then shifted to another scene where Alfred was sticking his tongue out at the Turkish man, "Take that, Sadik Adnan!"

The scene shifted to another scene where Francine is looking triumphantly at Arthur, "Ha! In your face, _mon petite lapin_! In your face!"

Arthur was yelling, his face red as he stood in his seat, yelling at the French woman, "It's not over yet, you bloody frog princess! You hear me?! It's not bloody over yet!"

Dracul's voice-over gave a laugh, "Have a nice day, everyone!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

* * *

_So thus ends the first episode of the blind auditions. That actually took a lot of me and hopefully the next one will come out next week some time. I hope you enjoyed! Oh, and here's a list of who's who so far:_

Agatha Clarkland (Nyo!England)  
Albert Clarkland (Nyo!Britannia)  
Joao (Portugal)  
Dmitri Yektarina (Nyo!Ukraine)  
Anya (Nyo!Russia)  
Nikolai (Nyo!Belarus)  
Ling Chun-Yan (Nyo!China)  
Leon (Hong Kong)  
Erika Zwingli (Liechtenstein)  
Vash Zwingli (Switzerland)  
Im Yong Soo (South Korea)  
Im Tae Yeon (Nyo!North Korea)  
Lovino Vargas (South Italy)  
Feliciano Vargas (North Italy)  
Romulus Vargas (Ancient Rome)  
Isabella Vargas (Hybrid of Nyo!Italy and Nyo!Romano)  
Veneziano Vargas (Chibitalia)  
Romano Vargas (Chibi Romano)  
Mitchell Mancham (Nyo!Seychelles)  
Kiesha (Nyo!Egypt)  
Heracles Karpusi (Greece)  
Madeleine Williams (Nyo!Canada)  
Carlos (Cuba)  
Kumarie (Nyo!Kumajirou)

_Songs sung:  
_Agatha Clarkland = Samson by Regina Spektor [Vers. by Casey Withoos]  
Dmitri Yektarina = What a Fool Believes by The Doobie Brothers [Vers. by Michael Duchesne]  
Ling Chun-Yan = Rolling in the Deep by Adele [Vers. by Vicci Martinez]  
Erika Zwingli = Bubbly by Colbie Caillat [Vers. by Dia Frampton]  
Im Yong Soo = Lately by Stevie Wonder [Vers. by Glenn Cunningham]  
Lovino Vargas = Breakeven by The Script [Vers. by Ben Hazlewood]  
Mitchell Mancham = Halo by Beyonce [Vers. by Chris Sebastian]  
Madeleine Williams = La Vie en Rose by Edith Plaif [Vers. by Rachel Leahcarr]

_The image of Nyo!England that I've used however is the one different to Himaruya's version. ( /56619). I prefer the name of Agatha for Nyo!England rather than Alice (Arthur was named after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, after all). Well, I'll be working on the next segment now. I would really like to hear your thoughts and opinions on this one. Has a contestant striked your interest in particular? Who are you looking forward to seeing?_

I'll do my best to finish the next chapter. Have a nice day! :DDD  



	3. Episode 2: The Blind Auditions, Day 2

_I do NOT own Hetalia or the songs, or the Voice. They all belong to their respectful owners._

_Again, I sincerely thank everyone who has faved, followed and reviewed! Really, that means a lot to me. _

_On another note, I sincerely apologize for not updating this in a while. I was sick with both laryngitis and fever and it wore me down so much. I was also sick with a bout of coughing fits (as a result from my larynx getting inflamed) for a while, but now I'm feeling much better! (All thanks to my best friend/roomate and sister)._

_So again, I really am sorry for not finishing or posting this any sooner._

_RandomWriter57: I wasn't able to watch all of it, but I saw some auditions from UK's the Voice. They're amazing so far! I really enjoyed Leanne Mitchell's rendition of If I Were A Boy. Haha, Breakeven is actually one of my favourite songs, too. I'm glad you like my descriptions - I enjoy putting detail into things._

_Springdale Forth: Thank you for the compliment! I'm sorry for not updating as soon as I hoped, but hopefully I can be more punctual in future. Ah, those characters will definitely appear (though one of those characters aren't going to sing, sadly)._

_Precious Marble: Hahaha, I actually don't think Lovino's as useless as he or others tend to think he is. My sister actually showed me this piece of information on a Hetalia site (sadly, I forgot which one it was), it mentions that apparently Lovino/Romano is a good dancer while Feliciano/Veneziano has two left feet. Spamano isn't my OTP, however I do like it. Don't worry, Antonio/Spain appears much sooner than you think. ;)_

_ H. Tagi: You've been really kind in all of your reviews to me in all of my stories. Haha, yes...that is my true gender. I feel quite honoured that I made you interested in audition fics! Personally, I don't like shows like [Country] Idol or X-Factor. Even in the Voice, there is a part of it that I don't really like either. I won't stop updating this, but I will try hard to make the updates sooner. The Soldier is still a plan so far - I really suck at thinking of a proper body in a story (start and endings are my forte). Oh, and as for The Tailor of Enbizaka; Nathan is Nyo!Belgium (I mentioned it in my foreword). And as I mentioned before, Antonio/Spain will appear much sooner than you think. _

_ChocoKoko: Yes, it did take a great deal to plan this out. I actually have a written plan on the next 3-4 chapters, but it takes a lot of time to write them with greater detail. Haha, yeah I try hard to find great songs and voices that would match the characters as best as they can. And don't worry about Lien-chan; just read the story and you'll find out who she'll end up with. ;) Ahah, EngNam is very adorable in my opinion - one of my favourite pairings with Vietnam (the other being Spain x Vietnam). _

_Anyway, yes...shall we get back to the story? I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Episode 2 – Blind Auditions Day 2**

Everything was pitch-black; absolutely nothing in sight. It wasn't certain what exactly was going on right then; a lot of questions would run through a person's mind. Where was here and where was everybody? Why the hell was everything so black in the first place?

What the hell was going on?

"Hey!" a familiar voice called out in annoyance. "The camera's not on! What the hell do you think you're doing? Turn it on! Turn it on right now!"

There was a grunt, some grumbling, and a sudden flicker. Immediately, the scenery was no longer black and a familiar Romanian host adjusted the little top hat that was perched upon his head, a slight frown crossing his usually merry features. He asked, "We're on, right? Yeah?"

Seeing the camera nod up and down, the Romanian man gave a huge grin, baring very sharp canines, "Hello all! Welcome back to another episode of HetaVoice! I'm your host, Dracul Dalca!"

Suddenly, the scene shifts to a great montage of a variety of contestants of different ethnicity, age, occupation and gender performing at the Performance Stage. Dracul's voice is then heard in a voice over. "In this episode, tune in to see the talent escalate out of this building!" announced Dracul.

Next, it then shows the four Judges each with various reactions – shock, awe, wonder and tranquillity. "And watch our Judges duke it out in order to fill up the spots for each of their teams!" added Dracul in an amused tone. "All in order to find the first ever _HetaVoice_!"

There is a sudden shot of Arthur, who leans back in his chair and gives a scoff, eyes boring onto the unseen contestant, "Well dove, we're going to _crush_ these wankers."

The scene then shifts to Sadik, who breezily calls to Alfred, "Not the time to be a cocky bastard yet, Alfie! You're still a kid in a man's game!" there is a quick shot showing Arthur, who is cackling from the Turkish man's words.

The scene then gets shifted to another where a determined looking Francine speaks up, "_Mon cher_, I had also wanted to really feel you and see where I could take it!"

"Hear that already, dude?" Alfred asked, grinning. "Francine Bellemare already wants to _feel _you!"

"Our Judges are: Sadik Adnan!" it then shows a full shot of the Turkish man, who was wearing a red hooded vest with dark jeans and a white singlet. He is holding his mask in his hand, revealing his eyes to be a deep, dark brown. He smirks at the audience. "His career running for over one and a half _decades_! Has won multiple music awards including one HetaTV award and 10 million albums of his sold worldwide!"

"Sadik is an…_alright_ old chap," Arthur nodded as he was being interviewed in regards to the Turkish man. "He's a bit of a show off at times and he can be as obnoxious as Alfred. Still…I _guess _he's much more tolerable and better company than that bloody wanker and that sodding frog princess." It then shows a shot of Arthur and Sadik doing some sort of secret handshake. The English man nodded, "Yes, if I had to choose which of the other Judges I'd save if we were all on a deserted island, then I'd choose Sadik."

It then shifts to Francine, who smiles, "_Monsieur _Sadik? He is quite the interesting man, isn't he? Very funny and yet so smooth and charming…very handsome, too, in the exotic way. Though, I do not understand why he must conceal those beautiful eyes behind a mask…" here, she gives a disgruntled look. "I find that mask very unattractive…_donc étrange_…"

Alfred laugh, "Sadik? Psh, yeah he's a fun guy and a cool dude to hang around, but I'm still gonna beat him! He may be old and he can sing with that deep ass voice of his, but he's still going down! Who would I eat if we were all stranded on a deserted island? Sadik's from Turkey…maybe he'll taste just like that!"

The Turkish man then smirks as he slips his mask back on, "Prepare yourself…'cause I'm going to _crush _you."

Dracul's voice then continued onto the next Judge. "Arthur Kirkland," said blonde British man was now holding a guitar adorned with the colours red, blue and white, much like the Union Jack. He is wearing a white polo shirt, a black waistcoat and black leather pants as well as one piercing on his left ear. He gives the viewer a much more serious look, "The lead singer _and_ guitarist of famed band, World Class Act. Been nominated for _8_ HetaTV awards and has sold over 20 _million_ albums worldwide!"

"_Monsieur lapin_?" Francine gave a tinkling laugh. "He is a cute thing, isn't he? In a scruffy and messy sort of way. I love messing with him; he is just the type of person that you love to do that sort of thing to. It is _trés mignon_ whenever his face turns red."

"Artie?" Alfred asked. A grin then spread out on the American man's face, "Yeah sure, Artie and I are friends. He can be really mean, though. And personally, I think he's _way _too uptight and serious about this whole thing. I mean – have some fun! This is a totally cool experience!"

"Arthur, huh?" Sadik smiled. "He's a good guy; bit too serious but he knows what he wants. He's got mad skills on the guitar, too. Kinda hard to believe, huh? Since he usually looks so serious and uptight."

Arthur's scowl furrows down deeper as he continues to glare, "No pain, no gain! Are you ready to bring it on?"

Dracul then moves on to the next Judge, "Francine Bellemare." It then shoots to a full shot of the French woman, who is holding the mike and stand. She is wearing a shimmering, aqua blue gown with heels to match, her dark blonde hair up in a bun. She blows a kiss and stands tall in her elegant dress. "Child protégé, starting her career from the age of nine and the best selling ever female artist to hit the charts. Alone, her debut album was able to stay number one for _30 _weeks!"

"Francine?" Alfred laughed. "Yeah! She's my French buddy! She's really hot, don't you think? But she's kinda too materialistic and high up for me. I prefer a girl who loves to get down and dirty – not afraid to fight, ride with me on my motorbike or eat some hamburgers with me at McDonald's!"

Sadik rubbed his chin, "Francine, huh? She's a really interesting woman. Sexy and flirty, but can speak up for herself. I like that, though – I love a woman who knows what she wants!" he then reared back his head and laughed.

"Francine?" Arthur scoffed and rolled his eyes. "She's a sodding flirt, she is. A daft frog princess. She is shameless with her flirting. _Anything _born with an X and Y chromosome, she'll go up to and butter them up! It's hard to be a gentleman around her when she acts in such a way because regardless, she is still a lady…"

Francine simply gives a wink at the viewer, "Keep your eyes on the prize…_je ne perdrai pas._"

Dracul then shifted to the last Judge, "Alfred F. Jones," the camera then shifts to a full shot of the said American man. He had one hand in the pocket of his ripped jeans, and adjusted his glasses with the other. He had his bomber jacket tied around his waist and was wearing a simple, forest green shirt. "Young country superstar; the winner of 3 Grammy awards, multiple Arias and _several_ Hetalia Music Awards and 9 million albums sold!"

Sadik guffawed, "Alfred? He's a good kid. He's also got guts, I'll admit, but he's still got a _long _way to go if he thinks he can beat _me_! Who would I eat if we were all stuck on that deserted island? Well…Arthur's a good guy and Francine's a hot woman – seriously, what man would eat a beautiful woman? So obviously, I'd eat Alfred – that guy eats so many hamburgers, it's not funny. Must have a lot of a meat on his bones by now," he gave an overdramatic evil laugh while rubbing his hands together.

"Alfred?" Arthur rolled his eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is about that wanker. Sure, he's got talent and he's _sort _of a friend…I'll admit that…but he's so full of himself. And he reeks of those greasy hamburgers! That smell…it makes me gag!"

Francine then smiled, "_Monsieur _Alfred? He's a handsome young thing. He's also very funny and kind, too. He is, I'll admit, a bit _too _overly excited, but I think that's what adds to his charm. However, I do not understand his fixation to those…_greasy _foods he keeps on eating…that's the only thing that I find unfavourable of his character, though."

Alfred then gives a laugh as he puts a fist in an open palm, "You ready dudes? Because _I'm _ready…ready to win!"

Finally, the camera goes back and shows a full shot of all four Judges standing on the Performance Stage. Dracul's voice-over continued, "Who will be _the _HetaVoice? Come with me right now and tune in on this episode! The Blind Auditions, Day Two! I'll see you's there!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

Already, the camera was settled onto a young Lithuanian man making his way to the HetaVoice Building. He had shoulder-length brown hair, pale green eyes and was wearing a jade green cotton jacket with a simple blue shirt underneath. He was also wearing khaki jeans and white sneakers.

He was accompanied by what appeared to be a young Polish girl with light, shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes of a much darker shade. She was wearing a black shirt with a cream skirt that reached _just_ above her knees, as well as some high heeled brown boots with black laces. She also had a pink hat perched atop on her head.

"Here, we have our first Blind Audition for today!" Dracul announced. "We have twenty-year-old medical student, Toris Laurinaitis. Here to support him is his best friend, Feliks…wait!" The Romanian man then stopped and looked at the blonde who was accompanying the nervous looking Toris. "Wait, hold it! Feliks…I thought Feliks was a guy's name-"

"Yeah and…? I _am _a guy," Feliks abruptly cut in. He then gave an impish smirk at Dracul's dumbfounded expression. "Like, _totally_."

Dracul clutched his head, "Fwaah…" he let loose a puff of air from the right side of his mouth. He sighed, "Wow…I got jacked on the _first _contestant auditioning! Ugh…" he then lowered his top hat onto his eyes so they were hidden from the viewer; however, there was something else noticeable (his ears were becoming cherry red). He then took a deep breath, "Okay…let's try this _again_…"

This time, Toris was able to get properly interviewed. He gave a weak smile, "My name is Toris Laurinaitis," he said. "I am twenty years old, and I'm currently studying for my medical degree…"

"He works so hard," Feliks sighed dramatically. "He would make a totally fantastic doctor, but he's also an even more fabulous singer!"

Toris gave a chuckle, "I don't really consider myself _fabulous_. In fact, I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Feliks." Seeing the confused look on the Romanian host's face, the Lithuanian man explained, "You see, I was always very self-conscious whenever I sang. I was debating whether or not to actually try out for the HetaVoice Blind Auditions. However, Feliks convinced me to do it in the end and, well…here I am."

Feliks puffed his chest out proudly, "He so owes me. Which is why he'll go shopping with me afterward and help me pick out some new clothes. I'm positive though; he's totally gonna make it. I can like, definitely _not _see the chance of him _not _making it! Mark my words!"

A few minutes later, Toris was now backstage in the Preparation Room. He bit his bottom lip and stared at the mirror, taking in deep breaths, trying to compose himself, obviously a nervous wreck. He then began pacing around; he was the first contestant for the day after all. "I can't believe I'll be singing to those four…" he said, voice noticeably shaky now. "All of them are amazing. Especially Alfred; I've always loved his songs and him as an artist in general. I wish I had the confidence that he and Feliks share; which is why I quite admire him…"

Back in the Waiting Room, Feliks was clapping his hands excitedly as he saw his best friend walk onto the Performance Stage. "You can totally do this, Tori!" he exclaimed, beaming brightly. "I know! You so have this in the bag!"

Dracul rubbed his head as he mumbled, "Still can't believe I didn't realize that this guy was a dude…"

Toris grabbed the mike from its stand and licked his lips as he stared out at the huge crowd and the four chairs whose backs were facing him. He took another deep breath, trying to calm his nerves one last time. His heart was beating so much that he felt that it was going to explode out of his chest at any moment. His stomach was feeling sick, too as it kept on winding and unwinding itself.

Nonetheless, the Lithuanian man shook his head, and then gave a nod to the musicians, signalling that he was ready. An acoustic guitar began to strum away in an even pace as well as an electric keyboard. The stage was coloured a lovely and vivid shade of golden yellow.

[Toris]  
_Well, you dawned on me and you bet that I felt it  
__I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted  
__I fell right through the cracks  
__And now I'm trying to get back_

The audience cheered out loud at hearing the well-known song. Toris' voice was much stronger than the original vocalist's, yet shared the same sincere tone.

Alfred arched an eyebrow as a grin spread out onto his face: this was one of his most favourite songs. He turned his head to look at his fellow Judges to see their reactions. Arthur had leaned forward in his seat as he listened closely to the voice that was being projected to them. Sadik was also deep in concentration, contemplating whether or not he should press his own button. Even Francine was deep in thought.

[Toris]  
_Before the cool done run out, I'll be giving it my bestest  
__And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention  
__I reckon it's again my turn  
__To win some or learn some_

_But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
__It cannot wait, I'm yours_

Suddenly, a relaxed and laidback drumbeat accompanied the even-paced acoustic as well as a carefree bass. The audience cheered louder, causing Toris to smile. The Lithuanian man began to feel much better that nobody seemed to dislike or hate his performance so far.

This might not be so bad after all.

Meanwhile, back in the Waiting Room, Feliks was hopping on the heels of his boots. He seethed, "Come on, turn around! I know that you like, totally want to! You can turn around!"

Back at the Performance Stage, Sadik was now clapping his hands in rhythm to the beat. He then began swaying his head around to the melody, while Francine nodded her own head. Arthur was still concentrating hard and this time, even Alfred looked like he was deep in thought.

[Toris]  
_Well, open up your mind and see like me  
__Open up your plans and damn, you're free  
__A look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love  
__Listen to the music of the moment, people dance and sing  
__We're just one big family  
__And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, love, loved, love, loved_

_So I won't hesitate no more, no more  
__It cannot wait, I'm sure  
__There's no need to complicate  
__Our time is short, this is our fate  
__I'm yours_

Inspired by the audience's positive reaction, Toris began to loosen himself a bit and started moving around the stage. This warranted louder cheers from the viewers, further encouraging him. The Lithuanian man began moving his hand and arm around as he sang, not knowing what he was doing but rather letting the music take his actions and make them flow.

Arthur then opened his eyes and shook his head. He then looked to his left at Sadik, who was now rubbing his stubbled chin, still deep in thought.

[Toris]  
_Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do  
__But do you want to come up?  
__Scooch on a bit closer dear  
__And I will lend you an ear  
__Scooch oh whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa  
__Whoa! Whoa oh, oh, oh, oh…_

_Mm-mmm._

"Oh come on, seriously?!" Feliks was fuming. "Just press the button! Tori's totally killing that song! Press it!"

Seeing how manic and desperate the Polish man was looking, Dracul promptly moved away from him.

The drumbeat ceased while the other instruments continued to accompany Toris and his voice. He was slightly worried that nobody was turning around, but nonetheless, continued singing, silently praying for someone to turn around.

[Toris]  
_Well, I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror  
__And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer  
__But my breath fogged up the glass  
__So I drew in a new face and laughed_

Suddenly, it was as if his prayers were heard. For there was the sound of a button being pressed, eliciting an eruption of screams, cheers and whoops from the audience.

Alfred grinned as his chair swivelled around. His smile grew even wider when he saw the singer. He nodded in approval.

Toris was shocked for a moment at finally being chosen, and being chosen by none other than the singer he looked up to the most. Something bloomed in the Lithuanian man and he couldn't help but perform in a more lively fashion. The drumbeat picked up as well, appropriately matching the feeling of euphoria waving through Toris' being.

[Toris]  
_I guess what I'm a saying is there ain't no better reason  
__To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons  
__It's what we aim to do  
__Our name is our virtue_

_But I won't hesitate no more, no more  
__It cannot wait, I'm yours  
__Well, open up your mind and see like me  
__Open up your plans and damn, you're free  
__A look into your heart and you'll find it  
__The sky is yours!_

There was the sound of another button being pressed, and it warranted a louder cheer from the audience. Sadik came face-to-face with the performer and smiled at the Lithuanian man.

Toris was even more taken aback that another Judge had turned around for him. He still continued to sing though, feeling even greater than before. He was practically dancing in the clouds.

Back in the Waiting Room, Feliks was jumping about in joy. He even grabbed Dracul and began jumping up and down on him, squealing in delight. The Romanian man looked unsure of what to do with the situation and just decided to do nothing, and thus remained limp.

[Toris]  
_So please don't  
__Please don't, please don't  
__There's no need to complicate  
_'_Cause our time is short  
__And this oh, this oh, this is our fate_

_I'm yours!_

Once the song ended, the audience applauded Toris' performance with great cheer. Alfred and Sadik were clapping like mad as they stood from their seats. The chairs of Francine and Arthur were automatically turned around to see the performer's face since they hadn't pressed their buttons.

"T-thank you," Toris gave a bow to the audience as his heart raced in his chest, the wave of euphoria still yet to leave him.

"Hey there, dude!" Alfred called, grinning. "So, what's your name?"

"I-I'm Toris," responded the Lithuanian man in a slight squeak, still unable to believe his good fortune. He cleared his throat to collect his voice again, "Toris Laurinaitis."

"That was one of my favourite songs, dude!" Alfred said, beam still present. "I loved the original, but I totes loved your version, too! It was just as awesome! I really loved how you were able to change the second singer's lyrics into your own! Hell, the _song _was changed into your own! Congrats!"

Toris' face had taken a grand shade of cherry red as he listened to the compliments he gained from the artist he respected and looked up to. "T-thank you," he said, responding with a smile. "Thank you so much; that really means a lot to me."

"As Alfred said before: congratulations on making it into HetaVoice," said Sadik, who was followed by loud cheers of approval. "Indeed, I wasn't sure _what _to expect, but what I _did _hear was…an _honesty_ with that song. You sang honestly and that's what made the song your very own. Good job there, my brother."

"Thank you, Mr. Sadik," Toris said, sheepish smile now on his still scarlet face.

"Indeed," Francine agreed. "You _do _sound honest and there is a certain brand of sincerity as you sang. However, I did not turn around, _mon cher_, because I believed that you would suit one of these lovely gentlemen far better."

"Thanks, Frenchie!" Alfred said. He then looked at the British man, "Hey Artie, what's _your _excuse for not pressing your button?"

Arthur looked at the American man incredulously, "You seriously want me to say something? I didn't even press my button, so I don't find there any purpose for saying anything here."

"We wanna know _why_, man!" whined Alfred. "Why?!" there was laughter erupting from the audience at the bespectacled man's rather childish display as he rocked in his chair, trying to get Arthur to respond. Soon, some members of the audience agreed with the American man, pressuring the Brit to respond.

Arthur eventually gave in to the American man's moaning and the encouragement of the audience. He rolled his eyes, leaned forward on his chair, and looked Toris right in the eye. "Since this ninny refuses to shut his trap unless I give my input for some odd reason," he glared pointedly at Alfred. "I will say it now – I enjoyed your performance, make no mistake on that, however I just didn't feel anything…_outstanding _from it. I didn't feel like it was the kind of voice I need for my team. I'm sorry to be harsh, but it's the truth…"

Toris nodded and gave a small smile, "It's okay, I understand. Thanks for listening, though."

Arthur gave a nod back in respect, "The pleasure was all mine, chap."

"So, _mon cher_, who shall you pick?" Francine questioned the Lithuanian man as she rose from her seat. "Will you pick _monsieur _Alfred?" she motioned her arms to her left where the American man jerked a thumb at himself, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Or will you pick _monsieur _Sadik?" she then motioned to her far right where Sadik was seated. "The choice is up to you, _mon cher_."

"O-Oh!" Toris gaped slightly. He gulped, "Um…" the audience began calling out names to him, trying to hopefully affect his decision. The Lithuanian man was starting to feel a little dizzy and hot from all of the lights blaring down on him as well as the great amount of noise exploding all around him. He then squeezed his eyes shut to regain his composure before he decided to answer.

Meanwhile, back in the Waiting Room, Feliks looked quite nervous for his best friend; his best friend didn't apply well to pressure and here, it looked like the most pressurised event he had ever experienced.

Like, totally.

"Oh, Tori!" Feliks breathed. "You can do it! Just say who you want! No-one's gonna get angry at you or anything! It so doesn't matter who you'll go with!"

Back on the Performance Stage, Toris finally came to his decision. "I…I really and truly respect each and every one of you," he said earnestly. "Really I do, but…but…" he shook his head, as if to shake away the stammer. "I have to go with my gut feeling and who I choose…Alfred, I'm all yours!"

The American man jumped up in his seat and began whooping in delight. "Yes!" he cheered. "Hell yes!"

The audience screamed out in delight as Alfred leaved his chair and ran up to the Lithuanian man, who was also making his way down from the stage. The pair embraced while in the Waiting Room, Feliks was squealing even louder in delight – he was hopping around whilst grabbing onto Dracul's arm.

The Romanian host was not amused in the slightest. However, in the end, he sighed and applauded Toris for his performance and choice.

"Dude, we'll have _so _much fun together," Alfred beamed.

Toris couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, "That sounds nice."

"Totally!"

Here, the Lithuanian man couldn't help the chuckle; Alfred sounded like a _certain _Polish cross-dresser he knew, "I can't wait."

As soon as Toris left the Performance Stage, Alfred made his way back to his seat. On his way back, he suddenly turned to Sadik and stuck his tongue out, face scrunched up in a childish manner. "Take _that_, Sadik Adnan!" he jeered before seating himself back into his chair.

Sadik simply gave a breezy drawl, "Not the time to be a cocky bastard yet, Alfie! You're still a kid in a man's game!" here, Arthur suddenly gave a cackle while Francine arched an elegant eyebrow at the childish actions around her. She then looked at the audience and comically wriggled her eyebrows, causing the crowd to laugh.

"You're _so _on!" Alfred called as all four chairs swivelled back around again in preparation for the next contestant.

When Toris came into the Waiting Room, he was instantly met by Feliks' sharp squeal of joy and a large, tight embrace from him. The Lithuanian man returned it as soon as he gained it. "You were totally fabulous, Tori!" marvelled Feliks. "I am like, _so _proud of you!"

Toris gave a laugh, "Honestly, I couldn't have made it here without you, Feliks."

Feliks chuckled, "You're right. Now, how about we go to the mall now?"

The Lithuanian man shrugged, "Sure; since I owe you. You can buy all the outfits you want."

The Polish man suddenly responded, "Yes…and _no_. We're gonna like; find gorgeous new outfits for you, Tori! You need to present yourself in a flashier manner! I mean, have you like, _seen _what some of the other contestants wear? There was that small girl who was rocking the oriental Asian look and then there was this guy with a curl who was wearing the like, most _stunning_ jacket! Oh! And-!"

Toris gave a helpless shrug in Dracul's direction, "That's how he is."

Dracul sighed as he waved goodbye to the pair. He then rubbed his head and licked his lips. "Geez…" he mused. "Such an odd pair…" he then gave a shrug and looked fondly after them. "But…it's nice to have a good friend…"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"Okay!" Dracul gave a big exhale, and then grinned at the audience, looking to be much better than before. "Now! The next contestant coming in, hoping to have a spot on someone's team is Miss Emma van Stein! Here to support her is her older brother, Lars."

He then gestures to a Belgian woman who was walking onto the red carpet, standing tall and positive. She had short and wavy yellow blonde hair that was held back by a green ribbon headband, as well as twinkling almond eyes of matching colour. She was wearing a long, yet simple, light aqua dress accompanied by a pale pink bolero. There was an apron also over the dress.

She was chatting excitedly to a Dutch man who practically towered over Dracul. He had sharp, storm blue eyes and short, spiky dark blonde hair with sideburns. He wore a long, striped scarf adorned with the colours dark blue and white. He also had a vertical scar situated above his right eye.

Dracul didn't want to know where the man got that scar from. He tried to avoid keeping eye contact with him and turned his attention to the woman, who looked _much _friendlier.

"My name is Emma van Stein and I'm twenty-four years old," she smiled warmly. "I work with my big brother here in our very own patisserie."

"Patisserie?" Dracul couldn't help but lick his lips, "Mmm…_cakes _and _sweets_…"

Emma laughed at the Romanian host's dreamy look, "We work really hard everyday. It's nice to make cakes and sweets for everyone to enjoy and we get enough customers to last us for the necessities. I love my job, but I also love singing."

"No kidding," said Lars, the tall Dutch man and Emma's older brother, monotonously. "Everyday, while she works, she either hums or sings. It's nice to hear her sing and hum; I don't have a problem with that, but if she repeats the same damn song over and _over _again for two to three days _straight_…"

The Belgian woman gave a nervous laugh as she patted her older brother's shoulder, "I do admit; sometimes I get a bit too…_carried _away…" she then shrugged, "But I can't help it. I love singing – it goes on par with being a _pâtissier_! I would love to bake and sing for the rest of my life."

Lars sighed, "You're already doing that…"

"I meant to have singing as a serious career as well – not just baking."

"…I guess having singing as a serious career would be nice for her, too," admitted Lars. "She's _genuinely _good at it, I admit."

Now that she was backstage, Emma was taking deep breaths as she looked upward, seemingly trying to collect herself. She then hummed slightly to herself to check her voice and gave a nod. She then gripped her hands into fists, nodded and hunched down slightly with a small, _"Yes!"_ She was able to be interviewed by Dracul another time before going onstage.

"Though…I _would _get disappointed if none of the Judges would turn around for me, I admit," she said slowly. "I wouldn't mind, either – I can just get back to working with my brother. We can manage our patisserie just fine. Still, I would just _love _to have a moment up there to show everyone what I can do."

She suddenly stepped delicately onto the Performance Stage, her footsteps echoing throughout the whole room. Everyone eagerly watched in silence as she gave them a warm smile, wondering what the Belgian woman sounded like.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Lars was watching proudly at his younger sister, his muscular arms crossed over his chest. Standing by his side, the Romanian host only reached up to the Dutch man's nose (including his top hat). Seeing her grab the mike from its stand, Lars breathed, "There she goes…"

Dracul nodded, "Yup." He then carefully patted the Dutch man's shoulder, "Best of luck to her…" Lars nodded in agreement, eyes never leaving the screen before him. Seeing that the Dutch man didn't react negatively to his actions, the Romanian host felt more at ease.

Back on the Performance Stage, Emma tapped a little on the mike and blew in it slightly, testing if it worked. Once that was done, she gave a nod to the musicians, signalling that she was ready to go. A piano began playing in a smooth tone, emanating a cool and relaxed poise. The stage was coloured a rich sapphire blue as the Belgian woman gave a hum to start her performance.

[Emma]  
_Mmmm…_

Suddenly, the piano was accompanied by a drumbeat that matched the relaxed composure emanated from the piano as well as an acoustic guitar that played a more crisp tone.

[Emma]  
_I keep your picture beside my bed  
__I still remember everything you said  
__I always thought our love was so right  
__I guess I was wrong_

"Whoo!" Sadik called as he began swaying his head around. Someone in the audience also screamed in agreement, warranting more cheers to implode around the crowd.

Emma couldn't help but smile at the positive reaction she was gaining. She moved her body slightly to the constant time of the song and continued singing, her green eyes sparkling. She was singing with a voice in a bit of a higher range, but it was strong, positive and very expressive; determined to show what it was made of.

[Emma]  
_I always thought you'd be by my side  
__But, but now you're gone_

_All I wanna know baby, if what we had was good,  
__How come you don't call me anymore?_

_Anymore…_

"Man, what soul!" marvelled Alfred.

Sadik then leaned close to his button, his hand inches away from pressing it, much to the delight of the crowd. He then wriggled his hand that was close to his button as he cupped the other around his ear, listening closely.

Alfred gave a laugh at Sadik's actions while Francine leaned back in her chair, listening closely to the voice put before their ears. Arthur also shut his eyes, concentrating.

[Emma]  
_Still like a fire on a rainy night  
__I still like it better, better when you're holding me tight  
__Everybody said, everybody said that we should never part  
__Tell me baby, baby  
__Why, why, why?  
__Why you wanna break my heart?_

_All I wanna baby, if what we had was good  
__How come you don't call me anymore?_

"Come on, Emma…" Lars grumbled in the Waiting Room, now looking understandably nervous for his younger sister. Dracul patted the tall Dutch man's shoulder, nodding sympathetically.

Back on the Performance Stage, Sadik was now clicking his fingers in time with the beat of the song as Francine turned her gaze onto Arthur. The British man was clutching at his forehead as he continued staring down at his button, contemplating whether or not he should press it and face the singer.

Alfred was observing the actions of his three fellow Judges carefully. He then fixed his eyes onto his own button. Emma's voice suddenly became stronger than before and, with great control, she was able to easily go through with the hook of the song that was on a higher note than the previous parts of the song.

[Emma]  
_Sometimes it feels like I'm gonna die  
__If you don't call me pappa  
__And ooh, you got to try  
__Will get down on my knees, I am begging you please_

_Please! _

Because of this, Arthur slammed his hand down on the button, causing it to swivel around. However, as soon has his hand made contact with the shiny, red surface, Francine slammed her hand down on her button as did Sadik.

All three chairs simultaneously lit up and turned around, causing a great explosion of cries, whoops and cheers to emit from the audience who marvelled at the fact that not one or two, but _three _Judges had turned around at exactly the same time.

Emma was ecstatic upon seeing them turn around, and as such, it made her want to perform even harder. She continued beaming brightly at the three Judges as they listened in delight to her voice.

Lars made a triumphant gesture at seeing his sister finally being picked and by not one, nor two, but _three _Judges at the same time. He gave a loud roar of victory. Dracul was also applauding the Belgian woman's success.

[Emma]  
_Come on.  
__Just come on home._

_Said why on earth won't just you just pick up the phone?  
__How come you don't call me baby?  
__Just pick up your phone and call me  
__Call me_

_Just pick up your phone and call me._

Before the performance could fully come to a conclusion, Alfred then gave a yell in defeat (though he was laughing soon after) as he pressed his own button, causing it to swivel around and the audience's cries to now shoot out of the building.

Once Emma finished performing, she bowed to the audience, smile still present on her face. Arthur stood from his seat, applauding her on a performance well done as did Francine.

"_Ce qui était beau_!" the French woman said in awe.

Emma adjusted her hair-band as she gave a laugh, feeling her face take on a dusty red at all the praise she was getting. The audience and remaining two Judges then stood on their feet, giving her a standing ovation. The Belgian woman couldn't help the smile on her face.

Once the hype died down, the Judges sat back in their seats. "What's your name, _ma chére_?" questioned Francine.

"My name's Emma Van Stein," responded the Belgian woman.

"Emma…" repeated Francine.

"Emma…" breathed Arthur, smiling to himself.

"And I'm twenty-four years old," concluded Emma after allowing the audience's applause and cries of approval to die down.

"That was absolutely _amazing_!" praised Francine. "When I first heard you, I thought that maybe we could take you out of that box that is just of R&B. That was what made me hesitate a little, but then I heard those moments in the hook of the song and the control of your voice…I believe we can bring out all the different parts that you have in you."

"Really?" Arthur asked, lifting his nose high in the air. "Because unlike you, I didn't hesitate."

"We went at the same time!" Francine said in an uncharacteristically much sharper tone.

"Well, unlike frog princess here, I was building it all up because _you _were building it all up in your performance," Arthur explained with a smile. "You practically took me out to the peak. I just _had _to reach that peak first before choosing to turn around."

"The peak, hm?" Francine smiled mischievously. "I didn't know you thought that way, _mon petite lapin_…"

"What? Wait, no!" Arthur shouted, his face growing beet red as the audience laughed and whistled at the obvious innuendo that Francine had made. "That's _not _what I meant! You-!"

Emma laughed at the joke as well, chuckling as much as the members of the audience, Sadik and Alfred; she liked a good joke here and there – and this one was pretty well played. Francine then spoke up, "Would you really like someone like _that_ as your coach? That sounded creepy, no?"

"I was _not _being creepy, you sodding frog princess! You twisted my bloody words around!" Arthur's face was a cherry red. However, he shifted his attention back to Emma, who was still emanating a glowing smile, "_She _twisted my words around, but you can tell; I'm absolutely passionate when it comes to something that I want."

"Yeah, I can see that," Emma pointed at the Judge's chairs where it read _"I WANT YOU" _at the base, in glowing, white letters.

Arthur continued, "I see you as a lady with refined confidence, yet at the same time, you have a vivid and funky energy that shines through that surface and it warms the whole room. I adore you; I would be thrilled for you to be a part of my team, dove."

Emma laughed, "Okay, I'll consider it, Arthur." She then turned her gaze onto Alfred, who looked like he was ready to speak.

"I'm totally digging your style that you got going on," the American man said with a big grin.

Emma smoothed out her apron and dress and gave a small bow in his direction "Aww…thank you."

"I was even more thrilled when my chair turned around!" continued Alfred. "I was _so_ glad that I hit my button. Your voice was seriously that awesome! Therefore, I would totes love it if you joined my team!"

"Thank you," Emma smiled back.

"Emma," spoke up Sadik. "Miss Emma, you were fantastic. Fantastic choice of song. I loved it, and I loved you. Your voice was just fantastic. I thought that you had more voice than that song gave you to showcase. My advice for you; remain on your lane and stay there."

"Which is totally _my_ lane!" piped up Alfred.

"In your dreams, you wanker!" snapped Arthur, glaring. "I don't intend on giving up easily!"

Emma couldn't help but laugh at the Judges' antics; the audience agreeing with her, joining in her laughter. Francine then spoke up before an argument could break out between the Brit and the American (which may or may not involve fists). "Look, it's not a bad place to be in," the French woman said. "_Monsieur _Sadik _wants_ you, _mon petite lapin_ _needs _you, _monsieur _Alfred _has to have_ you, but you're going to go with _moi_!"

The audience couldn't help but give a round of applause at the clever remark made by the French woman and gave a loud cheer at her words. Sadik and Alfred also couldn't help but applaud. The American man was cracking up at the French woman's words while Sadik smirked, "Well played, Frenchie. Well played."

Suddenly, the atmosphere tensed and the audience began shouting Judges' names at Emma's direction. The Belgian woman's smile faltered as she stared at everyone before her. In a shyer voice, she asked, "Is this…is this where I have to make my decision?"

Francine cleared her throat while Arthur clutched his head into his hands. Alfred leaned a bit forward on his arms while Sadik stretched back into his chair. All four were awaiting her answer.

Emma closed her eyes for a moment, as if regaining her composure, and opened them again, her mouth open slightly; looking as if she were about to say something, but she then closed it again as she exhaled. She rubbed her forehead and looked skyward, thinking for a moment, until she finally glanced back to the Judges and cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention.

Everyone leaned forward to hear who she picked. She placed the mike close to her lips again as she finally gave her choice.

"So Arthur."

The British man perked up at his name being called, unable to believe what he was hearing – he was certain that the Belgian woman was won over by Francine. His emerald eyes widened as his jaw dropped at the smiling Belgian woman on the stage.

"It's so Arthur."

"M-me?" Arthur was pointing at himself, at a loss for words. But in a good way.

Emma laughed at how speechless and surprised the British man looked and nodded, "I want you, too!"

Arthur punched the air in triumph as the audience roared in delight at the Belgian woman's choice. Emma began making her way down from the Performance Stage towards the British man and likewise, said British man made his way towards the Belgian woman. The pair gathered into an embrace (though Arthur's cheeks were an even unhealthier shade of red).

"You _won't _regret it, dove," Arthur vowed, a sincere smile on his face. "Really, you won't, I promise."

Emma smiled, "I'll take your word for it."

The Belgian woman then waved goodbye as she exited the Performance Stage, still as cheerful as ever. Arthur walked back into his seat, feeling like he was up on cloud nine. Sadik laughed and patted the British man's shoulder, "Lucky bastard you are, Arthur! Plus, she's not bad-looking, too!"

Francine sighed and gave a smirk at the British man's direction, "Well played, _mon petite lapin_. _Very_ well played…"

Arthur simply responded with a feeble glare, "Don't ever twist my words around again, sodding frog princess."

As soon as she entered the Waiting Room, Emma let out a scream of delight as she leapt into her older brother's arms. Lars was extremely proud of his younger sister and he picked her up as the pair embraced.

"That was great," Lars said, a small smile suddenly settling on his usually serious features. Dracul was a little surprised at seeing the Dutch man smile – his face looked far too grumpy to be associated with such an expression.

"I gave it my all," Emma laughed. "But I'm so glad you were here to watch me, bro!"

Before the siblings finally left the HetaVoice Building, Emma was able to be interviewed one last time by Dracul.

"I chose Arthur because I could see the definite fire in his eyes," Emma explained in reply, cat-like smile still spread out on her face. "He was serious, sincere and passionate with what he said, and I believe him. I believe that he will be a good coach for me – I can't wait for what's coming next!"

Seeing their retreating forms, Dracul then smiled, "And Miss Emma van Stein leaves on a satisfied note; as the third  
member of Team Arthur Kirkland!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

Dracul cleared his throat as the next contestant starting strutting onto the red carpet. A Prussian woman.

This Prussian woman had rather long and wild, white hair as well as having heterochromia in both eyes – they were pink on the top part of the iris, but blue on the bottom. She also sported a scar on her left cheek, under her eye and was wearing white, thigh-high boots, a black mini-skirt and a rather large, indigo jacket that came to a stop shortly below her skirt. A little yellow chick was perched on her shoulder, sporting a bow.

Accompanying her was a taller German woman. She had short, pale blonde hair, calm light blue eyes and was clad in a black tank-top, khaki cargo pants and brown combat boots. This woman looked to be older and much stricter than the Prussian who was strutting down the red carpet. Dracul came up to the pair to interview them.

"The name's Julia Weillschmidt. But you guys can just call me Julchen," the Prussian woman smirked. Dracul couldn't help but feel a rather overconfident air radiate from her being. The Romanian host shrugged – didn't matter if a woman had plenty of confidence, right?

Right.

"What are your expectations here for HetaVoice?" questioned Dracul.

The Prussian woman gave a laugh, "I'm expecting someone to turn around! I _can _sing, which is because I'm so awesome, however it's perfectly fine if nobody turns around!"

"Really?" Dracul asked. "How come? Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm awesome at other things!"

Dracul began to wonder if the word _'awesome' _was this woman's catchphrase. He couldn't help but be reminded of a singer that Miss Francine Bellemare was really associated with, but he decided not to ask since there _was _the possibility that they probably weren't related. Plus, their last names were different, so…

"She's really confident about herself," sighed Louise, the German woman and Julchen's younger sister as Dracul interviewed her. "If she doesn't get picked though, I admit; I'm not really sure if she'll get bothered by it or not. She's very overconfident that someone will turn around, yet…if nobody does, she's overconfident that she's so _'awesome'_, that she doesn't _need _anyone to tell her that she's good…singing is no exception."

"Well, do _you_ think she's any good?" Dracul asked when Julchen left to ready herself in the Preparation Room.

Louise shrugged, "She's definitely not horrible…"

The Romanian host shrugged at the response he got, "Fair enough."

Julchen was already heading over to the Performance Stage in big confident strides with her head held high. She smirked at the audience as her footsteps echoed throughout the stage. Some of the men were already ogling her as she stood centre stage with the mike in hand.

Meanwhile, the Judges themselves were leaning back on their seat. Sadik smirked at his fellow Judges, "Wasn't much of a long walk, this one."

"Not at all, old chap," Arthur nodded in agreement, his arms crossed over his chest.

Francine arched a delicate eyebrow after hearing the footsteps of the contestant stop. "It's a woman," said the French woman.

"What makes you so sure?" Alfred asked, giving her a curious look.

"If you listened to her footsteps carefully, _mon ami_, she is wearing heels."

The Performance Stage suddenly tinted a dark shade of violet as Julchen shut her eyes, a rather calm expression passing over her face. Her eyes suddenly shot open, revealing her odd-coloured orbs as she sang out the first lines in a strict and sharp voice, prompting the musicians to start after.

[Julchen]  
_Nanana, come on!_

A techno-like melody loudly blared; reverberating around the stage as the Prussian woman began stamping one heeled boot down in sync to the beat.

[Julchen]  
_Nanana, come on!  
__Nanananana, come on!  
__Nanananana, come on!  
__Nanana, come on, come on, come on!  
__Nananana, come on!_

The melody continued with its laidback yet grit sounding rhythm. Suddenly, a relaxed yet crisp drumbeat accompanied the music. Some people in the audience screamed in delight or surprise at recognizing what the Prussian's song was. Others gave a loud _'Ohhh!'_ in glee.

[Julchen]  
_Nanana, come on!  
__Nanananana, come on!  
__Nanana, come on, come on, come on!  
__Nananana…_

_Feels so good being bad,  
__There's no way I'm turning back  
__Now the pain is my pleasure.  
_'_Cause nothing could measure._

_Love is great, love is fine  
__Out the box, outta line  
__The affliction of the feeling leaves me wanting more._

Surprisingly, Julchen's voice changed from that sharp, strict tone in the beginning to a much softer and mellower tone for the verse.

Sadik began clapping his hands in rhythm to the song, his head nodding up and down to go along with the beat. Arthur meanwhile arched his eyebrows, now recognizing the song. He instantly reddened after remembering what the lyrics were like.

Alfred laughed at the British man's flushed face as did Francine, who smirked. Sadik followed the great _'oh'_ that connected the verse to the chorus.

[Julchen]  
'_Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it  
__Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it  
__Sticks and stones may break by bones  
__But chains and whips excite me_

'_Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it  
__Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it  
__Sticks and stones may break by bones  
__But chains and whips excite me_

Julchen's voice regained the grit during the chorus, and she seemed to be enjoying her performance. She confidently made her way to the front of the Performance Stage and even tossed her hair at one point, eliciting a loud cheer of approval as she sang on with not a care in the world.

Alfred couldn't help but mouth the words of the song to himself, a grin spreading out on his face. Arthur was still red at this point, Francine noticed. The French woman smiled at him.

Of course, this didn't go on unnoticed by Arthur. "What are you looking at, frog princess?" the British man asked, irritated.

Francine smirked, "I can see how uncomfortable you are with this performer's song choice, _monsieur lapin_."

"D-don't be absurd!" snapped Arthur. "It's just…the song's lyrics are shocking, that's all! I don't have a problem with the song otherwise!"

Francine nodded, "Sure, sure…whatever you say, _mon petite lapin_."

[Julchen]  
_Nanana, come on  
__Come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on  
__I like it, like it_

_Love is great, love is fine  
__Out the box, outta line  
__The affliction of the feeling leaves me wanting more_

'_Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it  
__Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it  
__Sticks and stones may break my bones  
__But chains and whips excite me_

Meanwhile, back in the Waiting Room, Louise was watching her older sister's performance with a serious expression, however, Dracul noticed, the strict mask was progressively starting to fade away the longer that Julchen performed with none of the chairs around.

Dracul asked the German woman, "You nervous?"

Louise licked her lips, "_Ja_. I am."

The Romanian man nodded as he patted her shoulder, "It's alright to feel that way, you know."

Much to his surprise, the German woman had a slight red tinge that was added to her pale features. She gave a nod as she cleared her throat and fixated her blue orbs back to the screen. Dracul's red eyes followed. Julchen's bird decided to leave Louise's shoulder and fluttered up to Dracul, deciding to perch herself on his little top hat. The Romanian host arched an eyebrow at this but simply grinned his fanged smile and petted the little, feathery ball of fluff.

[Julchen]  
_Nanana, come on  
__Come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on_

_S, s, s and m, m, m  
__S, s, s and m, m, m _

_Ohhh, I love the feeling you bring to me  
__Oh you turn me on  
__It's exactly what I ventured in for,  
__Give it to me strong and meet me in my boudoir  
__Make my body say AH!_

_I like it._

Alfred's curiosity then peaked after hearing Julchen unleashing a greatly rung up and down note at the last word of the second last line. The American man shook his head, "I have _so _gotta see this!"

He slammed his hand down on his red button, instantly prompting the chair to spin around. When the American man caught sight of the Prussian woman, he yelled and whooped in delight. "Yes!" he shouted, making a triumphant gesture; some of the audience agreed with Alfred's calls of approval and applauded him for turning around. "Hell yes!"

Arthur arched an eyebrow, "What the bloody hell is that wanker so delighted about?"

Sadik shrugged, "Beats me…"

The English man stared at the American man who looked possibly ecstatic from the performer. Arthur rolled his eyes; knowing that look on Alfred's face, it must be a rather fetching lady or, as the American would put it so bluntly, _'a totally hot and sexy chick!_'

Back in the Waiting Room, Louise let out a sigh of relief as she clutched her chest. She wiped the sweat from her forehead as Dracul patted her shoulder. "He pressed it…" the German woman sighed. "He pressed it…that's good…"

"I know, right?" Dracul asked, flashing his fanged grin. "Brilliant!"

[Julchen]  
'_Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it  
__Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it  
__Sticks and stones may break my bones  
__But chains and whips excite me_

'_Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it  
__Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it  
__Sticks and stones may break my bones  
__But chains and whips excite me_

Sadik's curiosity was soon starting to escalate, too. However, at just the moment he was about to press his button, he then stopped. He groaned as he stared at Arthur, "So close!" Arthur simply shrugged at the Turkish man. Francine slumped over, her eyes practically a few centimetres from the button's shiny, red surface.

Alfred was laughing as he nodded up and down, eyes transfixed on the Prussian woman before him. He had never seen a contestant perform with such confidence and swag before.

[Julchen]  
_Nanana, come on  
__Come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on  
__I like it, like it  
__Come on, come on, come on  
__I like it, like it_

_S, s, s and m, m, m  
__S, s, s and m, m, m  
__S, s, s and m, m, m  
__S, s, s and m, m, m _

And with that, the song finally came to a close and the performance was over. Alfred was beaming the whole way as he then shouted in triumph, "Mine! All mine!" the audience screamed in agreement as they clapped and cheered the Prussian woman. Said Prussian woman smirked at the audience and gave them an acknowledging nod. She waved to some people in the audience, "Thanks. Thank you. _Danke_."

The other chairs then swivelled around as the Judges applauded the performance, too. Some whistles were heard as the applauding died down. The three other Judges stared at the Prussian woman before them.

"_Wow_," said Sadik as he grinned at Julchen. "What's your name?"

"Julchen."

"Julchen?"

"_Ja_, just call me Julchen," the Prussian woman responded, smiling mischievously at the Turkish man.

"Julchen," Sadik said as he leaned forward in his seat. "I liked your performance. I really, _really _liked it, but…I didn't love it.."

"Well she has Alfred and he'll probably have a lot to bloody say," spoke up Arthur who was still leaning back on his chair with his arms still folded over his chest.

"Damn right I do!" piped up Alfred. He turned his gaze to Julchen, "You know what, dudette? You're trouble!" he smiled at the laugh that came from the Prussian woman's mouth. "You picked a good song that could tell your personality. I have a feeling that you're open to a lot of different things."

"Definitely," said Julchen. "The awesome me is!"

"What?" Alfred asked as he noticed Sadik chuckling and Francine smirking. Some members of the audience were also laughing and cackling at the American man's words. "What? No, I didn't mean it that way, you pervs," Alfred laughed.

"Well, it was enjoyable, _ma chére,_" said Francine, putting down her input. "Everyone was even dancing around in the room. I was like _monsieur _Sadik here, too – I _liked _your performance…but I wasn't _in love _with it. But, with all due respect, you're in good hands with _monsieur _Alfred."

"Aww, thanks my French buddy!" smiled Alfred. He then continued speaking to Julchen, "You know something else? I turned also because there was a moment when you sang where you were having a _really, really _great time and at the same time, your voice was totally in synch with that! And I have a feeling that there'll be so many great things about to come from this and I can't wait to work with you."

"_Danke_, Alfred," smiled Julchen. "The awesome me thanks you."

"I love how you talk, too!" laughed Alfred. "I love the confidence brimming from you!"

The pair suddenly came over to each other as the audience cheered and applauded again. Alfred and Julchen engage in a bro-greeting at first, and then exchanged hugs. The American man spoke up, "Really am totes excited to work with you!"

"Yeah, same here!"

When Julchen entered the Waiting Room, she gave a haughty laugh again, a hand on her hip and her head held high, "See West? I told you, I'd make it through! Now give your big sis a hug!"

Before Louise could respond however, Julchen had rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her taller and much more serious younger sister. Louise looked really taken aback from being embraced, her face cherry red, but nonetheless, she returned the embrace, albeit a bit awkwardly at first.

Dracul couldn't help but bemused at the sight. However, he gave a thumbs-up to Louise who then looked much more comfortable after a few seconds from embracing Julchen. The two sisters left in good spirits with Julchen chatting up a storm in rapid German.

The Romanian host sighed, "It must be nice to have siblings…"

Julchen's bird chirped in agreement.

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"Now, join me with our next contestant!" grinned Dracul as he fixed his little top hat from where a yellow ball of fluff sat earlier. "Coming to the HetaVoice Building is twenty-five-year-old Lien Nguyen. Joining her here today is her best friend, Xiang Mei!"

This time, there was a Vietnamese woman with her dark hair tied back into a ponytail, her bangs seemingly trying to cover her honey-gold eyes. She was wearing a forest green _ao dai_, white trousers, and sandals as well as a straw hat. Strangely enough, she was also carrying a paddle.

There was a young, Taiwanese teenage girl who was chatting excitedly alongside the woman. The girl had long brown hair with a wild curly strand sticking out on the right side of her head. She was wearing a peach-coloured _qipao _with gold trim and long, flowing sleeves as well as pink flowers in her hair.

"I am Lien, Lien Nguyen," the Vietnamese woman said in a low tone when Dracul came forward to interview her. She looked somewhat tense as the camera focused more on her face. Noticing her rigid frame, Dracul gave the girl, Mei, a questioning look.

Mei patted Lien's shoulders and beamed, "You'll be perfectly fine, Lien-chan! I know it! Just take a deep, _deep _breath!"

Lien did just that – she was always so nervous when it came to cameras; she wasn't photogenic, in her opinion. She inhaled deeply and after a few seconds, let out a big exhale. She nodded, looking much better than before. "Thank you Mei, well…as I said before my name is Lien Nguyen," she cleared her throat. "I originally came from Ho Chi Minh City, but I moved out after things were becoming…far too hectic back home…I lost my parents when I was thirteen from a horrid brawl. I was sent away to a children's home and there, I met Mei."

Mei nodded, "I'm from Taiwan actually, but I was sent to Vietnam. I met Lien-chan at the children's home and ever since then, we've been close friends!" she wrapped her arms around the older woman, enveloping her into a warm and tight embrace.

Lien sighed, "I eventually grew old enough to take Mei away. Now, here we are…"

"During all those times, Lien-chan would sing lullabies to me whenever I couldn't go to sleep or whenever I was sad," Mei smiled. "She's _amazing _at singing! Seriously! During any singing competitions that were held back in town, she would win them or at least come second!"

"That's…pretty much how I was able to gain money to buy a pair of plane tickets and have us move," Lien said sheepishly.

In the Preparation Room, the Vietnamese woman was inhaling in and out, her hands resting on her diaphragm as her eyes fixed onto the ground, pondering it seemed. "It would be nice to be picked," she said softly. "HetaVoice is where nobody can judge you by your appearance, but rather your skills. I don't have much thought or opinion on my appearance – I find myself rather plain, but…my voice is a different story. I have plenty of confidence with it, especially with the fact that nobody will be facing me at all at first. They will only hear me…"

She then made her way out onto the Performance Stage; her hat still perched on her head, causing a great amount of curiosity to pool over the crowd since her face wasn't in view. The members of the audience were leaning forward, trying to get a better glimpse of the Vietnamese woman's face.

"There's the walk," noted Sadik as he could hear the soft footsteps calmly coming onto the stage. "This one's longer than the last one..."

Francine sighed as she patted her chest, "I'm getting so nervous, _mon cher_…"

"Can't tell whether this one's a dude or a chick," Alfred said, scowling slightly; he tried to listen if there were heels this time, but this person didn't seem to be wearing them, so it was hard to determine. Arthur calmly leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, waiting for the singer to start performing.

Back in the Waiting Room, Mei was clapping her hands together, feeling both excited yet nervous for the older woman she looked up to. Dracul smiled at the Taiwanese girl and patted her shoulder. Mei noticed the Romanian man and beamed, "You should hear her!"

"Really now?" Dracul asked lightly. "Is she seriously that good?"

"Definitely! Her voice will blow you away!"

Lien then slowly removed her hat, revealing her face to the audience after calming herself down a bit. She tried to cease the twisting and turning that was taking place in her stomach as the lights blared down at her. She gave an inaudible sigh as she took the mike from its stand. The stage was appropriately shaded crimson, contrasting the Vietnamese woman to the stage. She timidly shuffled in her spot and cleared her throat, trying to gather as much composure as she could, while at the same time, gained everyone's thorough attention.

All of a sudden, the Vietnamese woman opened her mouth and for a moment, everybody was stunned in their spots.

[Lien]  
_This is a, a man's world  
__This is a man's world  
__But it won't be nothing, without a woman or a girl_

Much to everyone's shock and delight, a very strong sound emanated from the Vietnamese woman, who then made a harsh gesture to emphasize the lyrics of the song. A lot of people screamed in glee at seeing how much strength and control that Lien placed in her voice.

A grim yet relaxed drumbeat began at the spot as well as a sober sounding bass and acoustic guitar that played on every second beat. Soon, a quiet piano played in a similarly moderate tone

Alfred's jaw dropped at hearing the voice, "Oh my God! What the hell?!"

Arthur's eyes were boggled as his eyes flew open. He instantly slammed his hand down on his button, much to everyone's shock. Alfred also pressed his own button, a few seconds behind the British man.

[Lien]  
_Man made the car  
__To take us over the road  
__Man made the train  
__To carry that heavy load  
__Man made electric lights  
__To take us out of the dark  
__Yeah, and man made the boat for the water  
__Like Noah made the ark_

_This is a man's, a man's world  
__But it won't be nothing without a woman or a girl_

The audience exploded into applause after seeing that two of the Judges had turned around at once. Some were even up from their seats and hopping up and down in great cheer.

"What the hell?" Alfred laughed at seeing the singer. It was a simple looking Asian woman in his eyes. "Man! What the hell?"

Arthur was staring in shock at the singer before him and leaned forward on his seat. He was watching her intently with widened emerald hues.

Sadik and Francine exchanged a glance; they were both quite shocked that Alfred and Arthur had already pressed their buttons. They both had to admit – it was a very strong, mature voice with a great amount of control, however; they both wanted to hear a bit more before finally choosing to turn, too.

Back in the Waiting Room, Mei was screaming in delight as she was jumping up and down, gripping onto Dracul, who was quite flabbergasted himself. Lien was seriously so shy looking, that it was unbelievable that such a big voice had come from her being.

Lien herself was stunned at having two of the Judges turn around – she didn't think she was _that _good. A smile had suddenly spread across her face, which shocked even herself since she knew she was incapable of such a facial expression, however this whole thing was bizarre, so maybe her smiling wouldn't be out of the norm here…

[Lien]  
_Man thinks about a little baby girl  
__And a baby boy  
__Man makes them happy  
_'_Cause man makes them toys  
__And after everything  
__After everything he can,  
__You know man makes money  
__To buy from another man_

_This is a man's, a man's world  
__But it won't be nothing without a woman or a girl_

"Dude!" Alfred called, scratching his head, still speechless. "Oh man! Man, oh man…"

Arthur continued watching Lien's actions and face carefully as he seated himself back down, only finally realizing that he was crouching a bit up from his seat.

Back in the Waiting Room, Mei was still delighted upon the success of the woman who was like a sister to her. She made many triumphant gestures as Dracul gave a laugh, "Wow! Did _not _expect that, either! What a song and what a voice!"

Mei beamed, her eyes teary, "This song actually holds a lot of meaning to Lien-chan."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really…oh wait…oh my God!" Mei was squealing in delight even more. She started bouncing up and down and gripped onto Dracul. She was so ecstatic that she even took Dracul's hat and threw it up in the air in glee. The Romanian man's little top hat went flying.

Dracul looked at the screen and saw that both Francine and Sadik exchange nods and finally, press their buttons at the same time, coming face-to-face with the Vietnamese woman.

Lien was even more stunned that now she had _all _the Judges' attention, and the smile suddenly grew larger on her face. The audience had by now screamed at the top of their lungs at seeing the remaining two Judges swivel around.

Francine and Sadik were both shocked at seeing the singer, but after a while, the French woman smiled as she leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes to listen. Sadik looked enthralled.

[Lien]  
_He's lost in the wilderness  
__He's lost in bitterness_

_This is a man's, a man's world  
__But it won't be nothing, yeah!_

"Whoo!" called Sadik as he raised a fist in the air, commending Lien's performance thus far. Alfred agreed with his cat-calling.

"Sing it!" much to everyone's shock, Arthur had shouted that line to the Vietnamese woman. Alfred's jaw dropped at the Brit's call while Sadik guffawed and Francine stared at Arthur in amazement.

[Lien]  
_Without a woman or a girl…_

The performance ended with all of the instruments that partook, ending at the same time in unison. As soon as the song finished, the audience exploded in delight, rising from their chairs as did the four Judges. Lien now placed a hand on her face, her cheeks dusted with a heavy red as she crouched a little, still dizzy from the wave of euphoria that flowed during her performance.

Mei was applauding and crying in delight in the Waiting Room as she hugged Dracul. Much to the Romanian host's surprise, she gripped really tightly. Dracul gave a choking laugh, "W-wow!"

"Whoa!" Alfred called as everyone started to die down a bit and sit down again back at the Performance Stage. "_Wow_, dudette! What is your name?"

Lien fixed some bangs that had gotten into her eyes as she gripped the mike with both hands. She swallowed to regain her voice and cleared her throat, "My name is Lien Nguyen, and I…er…"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, man!" Alfred shook his head at how shy the Vietnamese woman actually was. "You can't talk that way when you just sang like that!" Francine laughed at the American's comment while Arthur shot him daggers with his eyes.

Lien cleared her throat as she spoke again; this time in a much steadier voice, "My name is Lien Nguyen. I am twenty-five years old and I originally came from Ho Chi Minh City."

"No, no, no, no," Alfred spoke up, waving his arms around frantically as several people in the audience cheered. "You're totally from outer space!"

"…What?" Lien stared at the American man incredulously. Several members of the audience were laughing as was Francine at the remark. "Outer space? I'm not, really…" she said.

"That was unbelievable, man. It was crazy!" nodded Alfred. "_Really_ crazy."

Francine then chose to speak up, "That was…_absolument sensationnel_! What is it that makes you find that deep kind of depth when you sing?"

Lien thought for a moment, "It's…I just enjoy singing. It's the place where I go to when I'm down and whenever my best friend is down…"

Hearing herself getting mentioned, Mei was burying her hands in her huge sleeves in embarrassment as Dracul patted her back.

Back at the Performance Stage, Francine smiled, "Okay, well I would just like you to know, _ma chére _that I love you immensely, of course. And, it says everything…" she motioned to the big white letters at the base of the chairs. "_I want you_. And if you would like to come with me, of course I'd be happy to work with you and your incredible talent."

After the audience died down from their applause to Francine's words, Sadik then chose to speak. "I swear to God, I think you swallowed Janice Joplin," said the Turkish man. Lien covered her mouth, feeling herself redden a bit as she gave a small giggle; the audience laughed at Sadik's remark, too. Sadik continued, "It was…I was amazed…a thousand and fifty is what you must be really when it comes to age, because from that voice – you can hear many, _many_ lives. I was just so…stunned to hear that tonight. Good job."

Everyone nodded at Sadik's comment and as a result, all eyes were drawn to Arthur as he was the only Judge left to speak. The British man was rubbing his chin as he tried to think of the right words to say. He exhaled and scratched his messy, blonde hair, "You know something? I really don't know what to say…"

The audience broke into laughter while someone whistled. Alfred then stood up from his seat and started clapping, "Finally!"

"_Mon dieu_!" exclaimed Francine. "This has not happened before! Usually he makes a snide comment here or there or even has just _one _question or little thing to say!"

Arthur shook his head, still rubbing his chin, "You know? I was somewhat distracted when I first heard you and I almost actually didn't press my button."

"But you pressed it first!" someone in the audience called out. More screams of approval were raised from the crowd while Alfred tried to make himself taller and yelled, "Hey! Artie and I pressed it at the same time!"

"No you didn't," Sadik spoke up with a grin. "Arthur pressed his first - you came in like a second after."

"I'm taller than you right now!" snapped Alfred.

Suddenly, Sadik stood up in his own chair, smirking at how tall he was compared to the American man (which actually wasn't that much). Alfred glared at the Turkish man and stood up in his seat. Sadik followed suit, still taller than the American man. Alfred then tried to climb up his chair to stand on the very top of it but failed, almost slipping over. He gave up and sat back down as Sadik reared back his head and gave an evil laugh, ultimately triumphant. The audience applauded and cheered, still whooping about.

Arthur chuckled as soon as that hype died down, "You know something, poppet? You're possessed – you must have made some sort of deal with something of black magic to have that thing come out of you. That's just incredible. Look behind you, and obviously it's called _'HetaVoice'_."

Lien looked over her shoulder and saw the show's signature sign – the hand holding the mike while doing a peace sign. She turned her attention back to Arthur, listening closely.

"I don't think there's been any bigger testament to that than what we heard just then. You are, simply put, _incredible_. God bless you there, dove."

The audience screamed in delight at the British man's words while Lien gave a respectful bow, face still aflame. "Thank you," she said.

"Coming from what Artie just said," Alfred spoke up, determined not to let the English man win over the Vietnamese woman. Arthur protested at his unwanted nickname as the American man continued, "I will follow you to hell and back if you were on my team."

Sadik then spoke up before the audience could drown them out, "It's still your decision."

Lien then stared at everyone around her. She asked uncertainly, "Do I…choose now?"

"It doesn't really matter what happens tonight, because you're going somewhere," called Sadik. "We've already established that. However, the question you should be asking yourself is this – can any of us here take you on that path?"

"And if we can," continued Arthur. "Is it the path you want to go on? It's all up to you, love."

Lien then licked her lips as she stared at the four Judges, her face then morphed from the bewildered expression into a much more serious and impassive mask. She ignored the calling all around her as she bore her golden eyes into the Judges, one-by-one.

After a while of contemplation, Lien cleared her throat, signalling that she wanted to speak. "I thank you for taking your time to listen to me," the Vietnamese woman said in a sincere tone, yet kept her serious face. "But, I know who I would like to pick…"

Sadik intertwined his fingers together. Alfred leaned back in his seat while Francine leaned forward a bit on hers. Arthur meanwhile kept his gaze onto the Vietnamese woman.

"It's Arthur."

Someone in the crowd screamed in delight and was soon followed by applause when a smile broke out onto the British man's face. He then stood up and made his way to the Vietnamese woman who was carefully making her way down from the Performance Stage. When they finally reached each other, the pair exchanged a handshake and, much to everyone's surprise; Arthur leaned down and gave the Vietnamese woman a hug.

The hug didn't last too long, but it was enough to make Lien's red face become an even unhealthier shade. Alfred's jaw dropped, but he laughed soon after. Francine smirked while Sadik wolf-whistled. Arthur flipped them off the good old British way as Lien left the Performance Stage.

When she entered the Waiting Room, she went towards Mei, who was screaming in delight and running over to her for a hug. The Taiwanese girl was still crying; still moved to tears from everything. Lien herself was starting to feel emotional from the support that her young friend had given her all the years, and felt a twitch emerge onto her lips, which made them curve slightly upward.

Before the pair left, Dracul was able to have one final interview with Lien.

"I picked Arthur because I could see clearly from his eyes – he means what he says. He's honest with his words and willing to carry them out," she said as she and Mei departed. "I know I can count on him as my coach…"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

This time, a young Finnish man was walking down the big, red carpet towards the HetaVoice Building. He had short blonde hair with a white beret atop his head and had twinkling light brown eyes. He was wearing a beige sweater vest, a black tie, a light blue short-sleeved polo shirt and trousers of the same colour as well as dark brown dress shoes.

Accompanying him was a tall Swedish man who was carrying a child on his shoulders as well as two other men – one was an Estonian while the other was a young Latvian boy.

The Swedish man stood at a towering height and had short, light blonde hair, as well as eyes of a greenish blue hue. He was wearing a long, blue overcoat, a black shirt and tie, pants of the same colour, gloves, boots and glasses. The glasses seemed to magnify the look of intensity that his eyes beheld.

The child on his shoulders had sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, thick eyebrows (uncannily like a certain British Judge's) and was wearing what appeared to be a sailor suit. The sailor suit consisted of a white shirt with a blue collar, a blue neck tie and blue Capri pants as well as white knee-high socks and Mary Jane shoes. The boy was trying to put on a large hat that seemed to belong to the tall Swede while he placed his own sailor hat on the Swedish man's head; the sight looked rather goofy to the Romanian host. During this, the boy on the Swede's shoulders was talking to the Latvian boy.

The Latvian boy had short, curly blonde hair and violet eyes. He was wearing a blue jacket as well as a red scarf, khaki pants and worn out sneakers. He was talking back, appearing a bit nervous, but smiling nonetheless.

The young Estonian man who was left was also a blonde, but his hair was a darker shade than the other four present. He also had green eyes and sported glasses. He was wearing a brown sweater over a white dress shirt as well as a khaki tie and gray pants.

Dracul spoke, "Here we have twenty-one-year-old, Tino Väinämöinen coming to our HetaVoice Building! Here, providing support, are his best friend, Eduard, his friend's brother, Raivis, his partner, Berwald, and Berwald's adopted son, Peter." Dracul patted his chest and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Boy, was _that _a mouthful…"

Tino gave a smile to himself as he remembered how he gained his invitation to the HetaVoice Blind Auditions.

_[FLASHBACK]_

_Dracul was walking up to a certain address with a red letter in his hands. He gave a grin to the camera as he moved to a simple house of pale grey bricks and with a black roof. He rung the doorbell and patiently waited outside, red letter still in hand._

_The Romanian man could hear a loud voice shout, "I'll get it mama!" and the door swung open from the inside, revealing little Peter who stared up at Dracul in confusion._

_Dracul beamed; his fangs in clear sight, "Hello there. Is Tino in?"_

_Peter arched his neck up more to take a closer look at the stranger. He tilted his head as he squinted his eyes. Were those _real _fangs?_

_Dracul arched an eyebrow at the child's staring and asked again, "Don't mean to be rude, but is Tino in? And can you please quit staring at me?"_

_Peter blinked and nodded, "Yes, I'll get him." He then turned around and shouted in such a loud voice, that Dracul jumped slightly. "Mama! There's someone out here who wants to see you!"_

"_Who is it, Peter?" Tino's voice called from upstairs._

"_I don't know, but I think he's a vampire!"_

_Dracul's eyes twitched at that comment, but after a deep breath, he resumed with his grin again, albeit one of his eyes was still twitching. Soon, he could hear footsteps thumping from a figure coming downstairs as he heard a voice mutter, "What on earth-?" _

_Pretty soon, Tino's slim frame emerged into Dracul's line of view. Once the Finnish man peered carefully through the screen door, he suddenly gave a sharp yelp of astonishment and delight. "Oh my God!" he shrieked._

_Immediately, Berwald poked his large figure from the kitchen, wearing a frilly apron and holding a spatula. "What is going on?" he asked in concern, despite the serious expression on his face._

_Dracul grinned, "Sorry to barge in like this, but Mr. Väinämöinen…I'm here to give you your invitation to the HetaVoice Blind Auditions!"_

_Tino opened the screen door; his face now dusted a cherry red as he accepted the letter from the Romanian host, a big smile spreading out onto his face. As soon as he opened it and read the capitalized black letters, "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE INVITED TO THE HETAVOICE BLIND AUDITIONS!" Pretty soon, Berwald came closer and peered over his much smaller partner. Peter was jumping for joy, congratulating his mama in great cheer. Berwald placed a hand on his "wife's" shoulder and felt a small smile twitch at the corners of his lips._

_[END FLASHBACK!]_

"I'm just so happy to make it here!" said Tino sincerely. "Really, I still can't believe it! I love to sing so much and coming here…I can finally show everyone what I'm really capable of."

"He takes a lot of negativity from others though," remarked Eduard solemnly, the Estonian man and Tino's best friend. "It's just because of a few issues – I don't think he would appreciate me saying them out loud, though…"

Backstage in the Preparation Room, Tino swallowed the huge lump that had gathered in his throat. He whistled softly to himself as he looked skyward, his hands clasped down his front. He then peered into the mirror and fixed the white beret on his head as well as smoothen out his sweater vest.

Tino admitted before he could go out onto the Performance Stage, "Honestly, I get so sick and tired of people getting on my case. I'm not just doing this for myself, though - I'm also doing this for Berwald and Peter; time's are getting tougher nowadays. I love Berwald, though I admit – I _don't _like being called a _'wife'_, and I love Peter very much. This is the only chance that I can just show my voice and what I really _am_ made of."

"Think your mama's gonna win?" Dracul questioned Peter back at the Waiting Room.

The little boy nodded as he stood properly straight, now at Berwald's side. "Definitely!" called Peter. "Mama's gonna win this! He'll get picked for sure! Right, Raivis?" he poked the Latvian boy at his side, who jumped slightly.

Nevertheless, Raivis nodded and gave Dracul a nervous smile, "Y-yes…M-Mr. Tino will be just fine…" he felt highly intimidated by the Romanian host's rather refined appearance and fangs though.

Meanwhile, Tino began his stride onto the Performance Stage. He carefully made his way onto the stage, which was now tinted a brilliant, yet pale, light blue. Mike in hand, he took another deep breath as he stared out at the huge audience who were eagerly waiting to hear what he sounded like.

Back in the Waiting Room, Peter looked ecstatic upon seeing the Finnish man on the stage. "Come on, mama!" he cheered. "You can do it!"

Berwald had his arms around the boy's small frame as he watched the man he loved calm himself down a bit more before starting. Eduard was clasping his hands together, nervous for his best friend, while Raivis was now biting at the ends of his fingernails.

Giving a nod to the musicians to start, Tino then stood with his legs slightly apart as he relaxed his whole frame. Immediately, a laidback and chill electric guitar started to play. It was soon accompanied by the sound of a hi-hat being stuck in a rhythmic manner.

[Tino]  
_Oh yeah  
__Mmmmm yeah  
__Yeah, mmm, yeah_

Soon, the electric guitar was accompanied by an acoustic that also played in a relaxed fashion while a snare and kick was added to the once lone hi-hat.

[Tino]  
_I've been holding out so long  
I've been sleeping all alone  
Lord I miss you, yeah  
__I've been hanging on the phone  
I've been sleeping all alone  
I wanna kiss you_

_Yes, in all the times!_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh_  
_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh_

A relaxed and smooth voice with a mature tone came from Tino's mouth as he continued to sing. The audience started clapping in rhythm to the song after giving a loud whoop of delight.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Alfred immediately pressed his button. He raised his hand up while the audience screamed in delight. "Come on!" the American man yelled as his chair swiveled around. Once he fully saw the singer, Alfred gave a loud whoop himself, "Yeah!"

A big grin spread out onto Tino's face as he started to tap his foot in rhythm to the song himself. He was overjoyed that already someone had picked him – he honestly hadn't expected someone to do so yet.

Back in the Waiting Room, Peter and Raivis were jumping for joy, clasping each other's hands. Eduard was also delighted upon seeing his best friend getting picked and sighed in relief as he clutched his chest. Berwald was also ecstatic and nodded in rhythm to the song. Dracul beamed as he called, "Alfred already picked!"

[Tino]  
_Well, I've been haunted in my sleep  
You've been starring in my dreams  
Lord I miss you, child  
Well, I've been waiting in the hall  
Waiting on your call  
And when the phone rings  
It's just some friends of mine. They say,_

_"Hey, what's the matter man?_  
_We're gonna come around at twelve_  
_with some Puerto Rican girls that are just dyin' to meet you._  
_We're gonna bring a case of wine_  
_and you know, gonna mess and fool around_  
_You know, like we used to."_

_Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah_  
_Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah_

"Oh yeah!" Alfred cheered as he bobbed his head to the song's beat. "Whoo!" the American man then pumped his fist in the air in rhythm to the song.

Motivated by Alfred's calls and whooping, Tino then made his way to the front of the stage, his confidence starting to flow more vividly through his veins.

In his own seat, Sadik rubbed his chin as he swayed his head to the song. He licked his bottom lip as he contemplated a bit more.

"What's the matter with you, boy?!" Alfred shouted, reciting one of the lines to the song.

Hearing Tino's laugh to Alfred's response and a bit more of the _'aaah_ coming from the Finnish man, Sadik slammed his hand down on his own button, prompting his chair to turn around.

The audience screamed in delight at seeing the Turkish man press his button. Once he was fully around, Sadik leaned back in his chair as he smiled at the happy Finnish man. Tino was even more joyful than before, but still maintained his serious expression as he continued to sing.

[Tino]  
_Oh everybody waits so long  
__Oh baby, why you wait so long?  
__Won't you come on?  
Come on!_

_I've been walking in Central Park  
__Singing after dark  
__People think I'm crazy_

_Stumbling on my feet  
__Shuffling through the street  
__Asking people say, "What's the matter with you boy?"  
__Sometimes I want to say to myself_

_Ooh!_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh  
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh _

_Yeah!  
_  
"He's quite good," Arthur said with a small nod of respect. He was speaking to nobody in particular.

Francine agreed, facing the British man, "_Oui_." She could still see that he was more focused on his button than on her. The French woman then laid her own gaze on her own button as she began to contemplate on pressing it or not.

[Tino]  
_I guess I'm lying to myself  
__It's just you and no one else  
__I won't miss you, child  
__You've been blotting out my mind  
__Fooling on my time  
__No, I won't miss you child_

_Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah  
Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah_

Sadik was now moving his body a bit to the song as he couldn't keep his eyes off of Tino. He grinned as Tino continued his performance. Along with the _'aaah'_, the Turkish man joined him a few times. The audience screamed in delight at hearing Sadik's deep and husky voice belt out a grand note. The Turkish man then started clapping along with the audience in rhythm to the song.

Alfred leaned forward in his seat and smiled while Francine had raised a hand over her button. Arthur also had a hand over his own button, but hesitated, still thinking.

[Tino]  
_Oh everybody waits so long  
__Tell me baby!  
__Oh baby, why you wait so long?  
__Won't you come on? _

_Come on!_

Suddenly, Tino let loose a final run on the last note, going high then reaching back to the note he supposed to have gone to. This warranted a loud cheer from the audience.

Arthur lowered his hand down to his side instead of pressing his button. However, there was the sound of another one being pressed.

Francine's chair turned around before Tino's performance could finally be drawn to a close and therefore render her incapable of pressing it. Sadik and Alfred stood to their feet as they applauded the Finnish man. Francine leaned back in her chair as Arthur's turned around by itself due to him not pressing his button.

By the time the calls, whoops and cheers died down, Alfred gave a chuckle while Sadik smiled, "Wow."

"What up, dude?" Alfred called cheerfully.

"Hello," Tino called back, smiling. "How are you?"

"Doing good, dude! What's your name?"

"Tino," responded the Finnish man. "I'm Tino."

"Tino," repeated Alfred. "Dude, I thought your voice was amazing! I thought you owned that song and…I think there's some other songs you'd own even more, and I just think you would be totally missed not to pick me!"

"Why on earth do you say that?" Arthur asked, scowling.

"Because I'm the wild card, dude!" replied Alfred, causing the audience to giggle. The American man then turned his attention back to Tino, "And you can be the wild card with me." Tino himself chuckled at Alfred's remark.

Sadik then chose this time to speak up, "Now, the reason _I _pushed my button is because of the song you picked. Because while it _is _a really good song, it doesn't really showcase your voice that well…"

"Hence why I didn't turn," Arthur noted to himself.

Sadik resumed, "And…you've got the voice. We just gotta find a bunch of songs for you, that's all. And, I believe I can help you do that. Your presentation is great; your smile is just so damn infectious." Sadik nodded his head, "I would love to work with you."

Francine gave a smile at Sadik's words while Tino himself beamed, "I'm honoured, I'm really honoured. Thank you, Sadik. Thank you."

Back in the Waiting Room, Eduard rubbed his chin. "Wow…that's a very good sale's pitch," he noted, causing Dracul to chuckle.

"That was fantastic," said Francine, now her turn. "_Mon cher,_ you have such a versatile voice! For a moment, I was thinking that your voice was country, then another moment; I am hearing a more R&B style. I just adored the different textures coming from your voice, and the falsetto – I love it when a man can pull off a beautiful falsetto. That's why I think we could work well together."

"Thanks, Francine," Tino said sincerely. "I…I really don't know what to say – this is like a dream come true. Right now as it is; I'm really blessed and honoured that you guys…I really do mean it."

"That's awesome," Alfred said with a soft smile on his face as he patted over his heart.

"If I had the opportunity to work with you, I'm not gonna try to change you," remarked Sadik. "I ain't gonna try and make you into something else. I'm gonna just give you the benefit of the mistakes that _I _made. That's why I think I'd make a great, _really great _coach for you."

"Ultimately," called Arthur. "It _is _up to you, good sir."

Tino took an intake of breath, "I guess I _do _have to make a decision…um…"

The audience began calling names of the three Judges that had turned around. Arthur shrugged and leaned back on his chair since he didn't press his button at all. Francine also leaned back in her chair while Alfred leaned forward on his. Sadik sat upright, arms on the rests.

Tino licked his lips, "It's a hard decision…but I…" after taking a deep breath, the Finnish man then looked up again, his mind made. "I'll have to go with Sadik."

"YES!" the Turkish man shouted in delight as he immediately rose in his seat, his arms raised in the air in triumph. The audience cheered in delight, some laughing at Sadik's reaction as Tino made his way down from the Performance Stage to his new coach.

Sadik himself made his way over to Tino and the pair were immersed into a big embrace. "Awesome, you're quite amazing!" Sadik complimented the Finnish man in his arms.

Back in the Waiting Room, Berwald was feeling ecstatic for the Finnish man. The Swede, much to everyone's shock, had the corners of his lips twitch upward for _just _a second.

_Just_.

Eduard and Raivis exchanged a glance while Peter was jumping for joy around the room. Dracul patted Peter's shoulder, "Dream come true for your mama, huh?"

"Oh, yes!" Peter grinned.

"Good work, man," Sadik said with an arm still around Tino's smaller shoulders. "I'm really excited in working with you."

"Thank you," Tino answered back, a cherry red dusting his pale features. "Thank you so much."

"Good job, Tino," and with that, Sadik raised one of Tino's arms, similarly to that of a referee to a winning boxer in a fighting ring. The audience screamed in delight at the Finnish man's success.

As Tino left the Performance Stage, Arthur gave a nod of approval in Sadik's direction. "You got a good one, old chap," the British man remarked. "Well played there."

"Yeah, he's totally badass!" piped up Alfred from his end. Sadik chuckled at the American man's comment and nodded.

Once he entered the Waiting Room, Tino laughed when Peter immediately bound up to him, hugging him tightly. Berwald calmly came in his composed strides and leaned down, planting a kiss to the Finnish man's temple. Tino stood up a bit and returned the sweet gesture with a loving one of his own – he planted a soft one on the Swede's cheek.

Berwald's pale cheeks were now noticeably becoming a cherry red, despite the emotionless mask he wore. Eduard and Raivis also came over to congratulate Tino on making it through to the next round.

Dracul couldn't help but feel jittery and warm inside as he watched Tino with his family. It was an odd family, but a family nonetheless. The Romanian host gave a happy sigh as he looked at the camera, "Ain't family grand?"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

Dracul cleared his throat after saying goodbye to Tino and his happy family. The Romanian host adjusted his little top hat before speaking, "And so…why don't we have a quick run-down of who's gotten new additions to their teams in the HetaVoice so far?" he then rose up his hands as a montage of the singers came through.

"First, Alfred F. Jones obtains the voices of shy medical student, Toris Laurinaitis and the sassy, confident Julchen Weillschmidt…" flashes of the two singers are seen in quick shots. "And then Arthur Kirkland obtained the soulful voice of Emma van Stein as well as the powerful vocals of Lien Nguyen…" it then shows quick shots of the two ladies performing onstage. "And finally, just a few moments ago, Sadik Adnan added the smooth tones of Tino Väinämöinen to his arsenal…" a final shot is shown of Tino and his performance.

Dracul then licked his lips, "Meanwhile, despite having turned around a couple of times, Francine still hasn't gained a new voice to her team." The Romanian host then tipped his hat slightly, "Of course…there have been a few more disappointments down the road…"

The camera then shows a montage of various people auditioning for HetaVoice, but failing in the end as none of the Judges turn around. It also shows the reactions and comments of the Judges a few times throughout those particular performances.

"I'm sorry, love, but that song wasn't cutting it for me," Arthur said solemnly to a young girl wearing too much make-up. "I felt no real connection to it…"

"Dude, that was totes pitchy!" Alfred said, wincing slightly at a middle-aged woman wearing black. "I couldn't help but flinch a few times throughout that performance!"

"I am sorry, _mon cher_," said Francine apologetically to the young man. "But the nerves overcame your performance, it seems. It was very out of tune…a shame though – you are quite good-looking…"

"We're sorry, but it's a no," Sadik said, shrugging his shoulders.

Dracul sighed, "It seems now the hype is dying down again…I wonder who will be the first, and maybe only, contestant that will be a part of Francine's team in this episode?"

"Better get a move on, frog princess," Arthur remarked during the break. "Otherwise all the good ones will be taken…"

Francine nodded as she took a sip of water, "I know, I know…you don't have to remind me twice, _mon petite lapin_…you can get quite long winded after a while…"

The British man flushed upon the French woman's words and crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, fine! I won't remind you next time, then!"

Dracul couldn't help the chuckle coming from his mouth as the camera shifts to him. He was now standing outside of the HetaVoice Building. He grins mischievously, "Seems like there's still some unresolved sexual tension there…"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

This time, walking onto the HetaVoice red carpet was a young man. To be more precise, a Spaniard.

The Spaniard had lightly tanned skin and somewhat curly brown hair that was concealed underneath a light brown flat cap. He had warm, grass green eyes that reflected a sunny disposition. He was wearing a dark green jacket over a simple white shirt that read the slogan, _'Shut up, King!'_ and wore some slightly faded, form-fitting jeans as well as worn sneakers and a silver cross. He also had an old, weathered guitar case strapped onto his back

Accompanying him was a woman who looked quite similar to him; sharing the mocha-coloured hair and grass green eyes. Her hair was tied back into a bun and she was wearing a pinstripe shirt as well as a long skirt and black heels. She was holding hands with a child that looked like the both of them; only the youngster's skin was more of an olive complexion.

The little boy had really messy coffee coloured tresses and big, shining green eyes that feigned innocence and curiosity. He was also wearing a cream-coloured shirt that was obviously many sizes too big for him (with the sleeves drooping), along with baggy shorts and sandals.

"Now this time, coming to our HetaVoice Building is unemployed twenty-six-year-old Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo," announced Dracul, thinking that the Spaniard's name was a mouthful to say. "Joining him here today are his sister, Carmen, and his nephew, Pablo. Maybe _he _will be the first contestant that will join in Francine's team?" he wriggled his eyebrows.

"_Hola_," Antonio greeted while he was being interviewed. "My name is Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo, but you can just call me Toni. I'm twenty-six years old and I work as a busker."

"Busker, huh?" Dracul asked. "Do you earn that much?"

Antonio shrugged, "It depends on the day, really. Some days I get quite a bit, while on other days…" he rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "Not so much…sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can perform in bars, pubs or cafes."

"How'd you even end up like that?"

"Well…" Antonio started slowly, trying to collect the right words. "Upon graduation, I left home. My _papi _and I were having…_really _big disagreements. I'd rather not go into detail about them, but in the end, I packed my things and left…" he then slung an arm around Carmen's shoulders. "And then two years later, _mi hermanita_ came to live with me."

"Things were getting more difficult at home," explained Carmen, Antonio's younger sister. Her eyes fixed sadly onto Pablo, who was excitedly climbing onto Antonio's lap. The older Spaniard then removed his cap and placed it on the child's head, revealing that he had messy, coffee-coloured hair as well.

Dracul followed the Spanish woman's gaze and stared at the little boy with interest, slowly putting the pieces together into his mind. The Romanian host then cleared his throat and grinned his fangs again, quickly changing the subject since it seemed rather personal, "So, what are you expecting from this audition?"

"Honestly," Antonio gave a weak chuckle. "I'm just so grateful that I made it here. Performing is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I love to sing and play my guitar – it's as simple as that. I want people to hear my music."

"He's gonna win!" piped up Pablo, Antonio's nephew and Carmen's son. "He's gonna win! I know! _Tío_ Toni is gonna win!" the child then handed the cap back to his uncle.

Antonio laughed again and ruffled the child's hair. The little boy giggled from the affectionate gesture as Carmen then picked up her son and placed him on her lap. Antonio placed his flat cap back atop his dark brown locks.

Dracul couldn't help but smile at the little scene before him, "You're sure that your uncle's gonna win this thing?"

"_Si_, _si_!" called Pablo, nodding his head vigorously. "He's gonna win this no problem! He's _muy bueno_ at singing and playing guitar! He's the best!"

Backstage in the Preparation Room, Antonio was taking deep breaths as he carefully took his guitar out from its old case. The guitar itself looked old and worn with some of the paint slightly peeled, however it meant everything to the Spaniard and he wouldn't trade it for anything.

"_Mi hermanita_ and Pablo mean so much to me," Antonio said as he started tuning his guitar. "Pablo's father walked out on my sister…I will never forgive him for that. So now, I have to be the man that Pablo must look up to. My sister and my nephew…they mean the world to me."

"Was he always performing like that?" Dracul questioned Carmen in the Waiting Room while Antonio was getting ready for his performance.

Much to the Romanian host's surprise, Carmen shook her head, though a forlorn expression now settled on her features. "No, he was offered a recording deal before," she said solemnly. "But…" she looked down, eyes reflecting a melancholy tone. Pablo himself looked quite sad as Carmen finished, "He was dropped because he was supposedly _'inexperienced'_."

"'_Inexperienced'_?" Dracul echoed, arching an eyebrow. _'Really?'_ he wondered to himself.

"It was so unfair!" whined Pablo. "_Tío_ shoulda been the one to get the record deal!"

"Even so," Carmen sighed as she fondly stroked her son's head. "I'm glad he wasn't picked – the recording deal turned out to be a huge scam - the one they picked ended up paying more money than the rest of the people who auditioned…"

Dracul sighed in relief, "Well…ain't that lucky? …_kinda_…" he added hastily.

By this time, Antonio now had his guitar strapped to his back, out of its case, and started making his way to the Performance Stage. Just before he went on, he was interviewed one more time before going on.

"If I'm able to get through all of this, then _mi hermanita _and I wouldn't have to worry about paying for expenses," he said, green eyes reflecting a hopeful light. "We wouldn't have to worry about food, clothes and Pablo's schooling. I wouldn't have to give him my shirts anymore – they're far too big for him. I really just want that sense and composure that everything is going to be okay. I'm doing this for my sister and my nephew…so therefore, I've got to give the performance of my life."

Antonio now walked up onto the Performance Stage, his footsteps echoing throughout the huge room. He was given a chair so he could sit on while he performed. The audience perked up, looking at the Spaniard in interest (no-one can deny that he was very good-looking), now eagerly waiting to hear what he sounded like. Antonio flashed a big, bright beam to the audience before he adjusted the mike to his level.

Back in the Waiting Room, Carmen and Pablo were watching the Spaniard through the screen. Dracul stood nearby them while Pablo was cheering loudly for his uncle. Carmen was both excited, yet nervous for her older brother.

Antonio shifted himself in a more comfortable position before he propped his guitar into his lap. The stage was now tinted with a soft, pure white light as his face then partook a more gentle yet serious expression. He started strumming on his guitar, his fingers tenderly producing a soft, flowing melody that hushed the audience.

[Antonio]  
_Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick and think of you  
__Caught up in circles – confusion is nothing new_

A gentle and mature voice came from Antonio's mouth as he softly shut his eyes during his performance. His voice was deep and strong, but at the same time so tender and sweet. The audience started cheering in approval at his voice.

Arthur arched an eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair. Sadik started to smile as he pushed his mask back on his face.

[Antonio]  
_Flashback to warm nights almost left behind  
__Suitcase of memory  
__Time after…_

_Sometimes you picture me walking too far ahead  
__You're calling to me; I can't hear what you said  
__And you say "Go slow."  
__I fall behind  
__The second hand unwinds_

Francine leaned back in her own chair as she rubbed her chin, deep in thought. Alfred gave a content sigh as he leaned back and closed his own eyes, listening to the beautiful voice reaching his ears.

[Antonio]  
_If you're lost, you can look and you will find me  
__Time after time  
__If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting  
__Time after time  
__If you're lost, you can look and you will find me  
__Time after time  
__If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting  
__Time after time_

_Oh..._

Antonio let loose several runs throughout the chorus, keeping great control in his voice as they wavered up and down. His voice became much stronger as he let loose one last rung on the second last line of the chorus.

"Oh!" Alfred breathed. He then slammed his hand down on his button. However, he wasn't the only one to have their chair swivelled around.

Francine was thoroughly impressed with the amount of control that Antonio maintained with his voice, particularly the runs, and as a result, she pressed her own button. Her chair turned around at the same time as Alfred's.

The audience screamed out in delight upon seeing that two Judges had chosen to turn around. Antonio himself however, was too absorbed in his performance; he was lost in his own little world as he continued to sing and play his old guitar.

Back in the Waiting Room, Pablo was yelling in joy, bouncing up and down. Dracul gave a laugh as he clapped the Spaniard on stage. Carmen gave a small chuckle herself as she wiped at her now teary eyes.

[Antonio]  
_After my picture fades and darkness has turned to gray  
__Watching through windows, you're wondering if I'm okay  
__Secrets stolen from deep inside  
__The drum beats out of time…_

Alfred gave a laugh as he nodded, "Sweet, man!"

Francine was watching the Spaniard closely, leaning forward slightly in her chair. She was nodding her head up and down during Antonio's performance, entranced by him.

Now accompanying Antonio, a soft and sweet piano began to play as well as a steady, yet quiet drumbeat. The guitar and the Spaniard's voice were no longer alone.

Sadik then gave a laugh as he leaned forward to press his button. Upon seeing the chair light up light a Christmas tree, the audience cheered even louder than before. The Turkish man was soon face-to-face with the performing Spaniard.

Arthur arched one of his bushy eyebrows upon seeing Sadik turn around. The British man however, just leaned back in his chair, still seriously contemplating whether or not he should turn around - a big argument in his mind as he started to progressively get convinced he should press the shiny, red button...

[Antonio]  
_If you're lost, you can look and you will find me  
__Time after time  
__If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting  
__Time after time_

"Press it, Artie!" Alfred urged, making mad gestures to his button. "Come on, man! Press it!" the audience also agreed with the American man's statements.

Back in the Waiting Room, Dracul was having similar thoughts as Pablo was jumping up and down excitedly, also urging Arthur to press his button.

"_Por favor_! Press it! Press it!" squealed Pablo who had one of his mama's hands on his shoulder. "Oh, please press it!"

"Come on, Arthur," Dracul drawled. "We know you wanna – this one's really good."

On the Performance Stage, Arthur rolled his eyes at Alfred's and (not so much later) Sadik's antics of trying to convince him to press his button. Alfred had by now stood from his chair and made much wilder gestures towards his button while Sadik just pointed at it with a smile. Francine's violet eyes stayed onto the performer, never leaving them.

"You're _so _missing out, man," Sadik said breezily. The English man crossed his arms over his chest as his eyebrows furrowed down to a scowl. Nevertheless, that bubble of curiosity began to enlarge…

[Antonio]  
_If you're lost, you can look and you will find me  
__Time after time  
__If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting  
__Time after time_

Upon the last word of the second last line, Antonio stopped strumming and even the instruments had stopped for a moment. The Spaniard shut his eyes as he let loose a louder run that was much stronger and much looser than the previous ones he made.

This prompted Arthur to quickly lean forward and press his button. His chair finally turned around, eliciting more whooping from the audience.

Antonio saw that all four of the Judges had turned around now. He felt his eyes grow slightly moist, but nevertheless, after licking his lips, the Spaniard quickly regained his composure and continued to the conclusion of the song.

[Antonio]  
_Time after time  
__Suitcase of memories almost left behind  
__  
Time after time  
__After time  
__After…_

_Time after time._

By the time the performance was over, everyone stood from their seats as they applauded the Spaniard. Antonio gave a deep exhale as he took off his cap, feeling quite hot from underneath the lights.

Back in the Waiting Room, Carmen wiped her eyes again as Pablo was leaping up and down in joy. Dracul offered a lacy, red handkerchief to the lady. Carmen gratefully took it and dabbed her eyes with it.

"Wow…" Antonio couldn't help the grin that spread out on his face at the overwhelmingly positive reaction from the audience.

"What's your name, stud?" Sadik called from his seat.

"My name is…" Antonio cleared his throat to regain his voice. "My name is Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo. But, you can just call me Toni," he added quickly.

"Toni," Sadik continued as someone in the audience screamed in approval. More cheers erupted from the audience before the Turkish man could continue. Once everyone finally quieted down, Sadik was able to speak again, "Brother, that was just perfect."

"Really?" Antonio asked, his beam going brighter if possible. "_Muchos gracias_! I mean, thank you so much."

"Not only was it perfect," added Francine. "It was rather tasteful, don't you agree?"

Arthur then spoke, "You have a wonderful voice there, chap. It is very clear that you can sing _more _than you were singing – you showed a great amount of restraint."

"Yeah, totally!" agreed Alfred. "Plus, I wanna win this shit so badly!"

Antonio gave a laugh at the American man's words, though he was secretly hoping that Carmen was able to cover Pablo's ears. Francine also laughed, "_Monsieur _Alfred – you are quite a seller, you know that?"

"Well, I really, _really _need you to pick me," Alfred concluded. Antonio clutched at his stomach as he chuckled some more, the audience also cracked up at the American man's words.

"Now clearly," Sadik spoke up. "I'm in over my head here. But when I hear somebody and they're _that _amazing. Man, I'm a fan of yours, already. Me hitting that button, obviously just signals what is said on the chair – I want you."

Antonio nodded, his smile toning down slightly, but still maintaining that sunny cheer. "Okay," he said. "Thank you so much."

"Adding to from what _monsieur _Sadik said," spoke up Francine. "You were very believable in your performance. When I turned around and saw you – you were not overacting or going over the top with it."

The Spaniard gave another nod as he listened closely to the French woman's words, "I adore that song you just sung and you were able to break it down with such superb vocal ability. Saying that, you were able to make that song your own, _mon cher_. It was _trés bien_!"

"Thank you, very much," Antonio said with a nod of respect as the audience applauded Francine's (surprisingly) wiser words; they expected her to say something about the Spaniard's appearance by now.

"It would be amazing if someone like you would be a part of my team," Francine said with a smile, causing a groan from Arthur and Sadik on her right, as well as an obnoxious laugh from Alfred on her left. "How very rude of you, gentlemen," the French woman said, sounding a little annoyed, though from her knowing smile, she knew that everyone was just joking. "I won't hold anything against you if you don't pick me; I _do _have people –"

"I got people too, baby!" Alfred called from his seat, causing a bout of laughter from Sadik and Antonio.

The Spaniard then waved his hand up and down, "_Espera_, wait! Can I ask you guys a question? Please?" he then turned his attention to Alfred and Francine, "Out of you guys, you both turned around first, which really means a lot to me." He then turned his attention to Sadik, "You came in third, _señor _Sadik. Can I ask – what took you so long?"

The audience as well as Alfred gave a loud _'oooh!'_ in response to Antonio's surprisingly smart question. Francine gave a chuckle as Arthur reddened a bit; he turned around last after all.

Sadik laughed himself, "That's a very good question! And well, here is my answer. I wanted to listen more closely to your vocal ability – I wanted to know just how much you were able to dish out at me. I admit, I _was _a bit hesitant, but it was mainly because of the runs you did before - I wanted to know if you were able to pull that off again rather than just a fluke. I began to think to myself as well if I would be a proper coach for someone with your abilities."

Antonio smiled, "That's a very good answer."

Arthur sighed, "As of I – I had doubts at first because I have someone in my team quite like you. I wasn't sure whether or not I should have another risk taker – but for you, I think I'll make an exception."

"Why though, Artie?" Alfred questioned from his end. "I mean, Frenchie and I could _definitely _hear how pro he was! We turned around straight away!"

Francine nodded, "_Oui_, that is quite correct. _Mon cher_, I also wanted to really feel you and see where I could take it!"

"Hear that already, dude?" Alfred asked, grinning. "Francine Bellemare already wants to _feel _you!" the remark instantly let loose a huge bout of laughter from Sadik, Antonio _and _the audience.

"_Monsieur _Alfred!" Francine spoke up. "That was not what I meant this time!"

"I mean that's awesome, right?" Alfred continued, still beaming.

"So, uh…" Antonio cleared his throat. "Does that mean that I get to…?"

"Choice is all yours, chap," Arthur said as he shrugged.

"All up to me?" Antonio's eyes widened. "Oh, okay…"

"Choice is in your hands," added Sadik. "Your control now. Who do you want as your coach?"

As soon as the words left the Turkish man's mouth, the audience began yelling out the names of the four Judges in hopes of affecting the Spaniard's decision. Antonio himself started to feel really self-conscious as the lights continued to blare down on him. He rubbed his chin as he placed his cap back on his head.

After a little while of contemplation, Antonio then chose to speak, "Guys, um…I might surprise you with this one, but I, you know…and I thank you again for listening. But uh…I think…I'm gonna go with Francine."

Hearing her name tumbling out from the Spaniard's lips, the French woman suddenly raised her arms up in triumph as the audience screamed in delight and approval. Arthur scowled, but applauded her, albeit rather grudgingly. Sadik laughed as he and Alfred also clapped.

Francine elegantly made her way to the Spaniard, who was also coming down from the Performance Stage. The pair embraced each other and not long after, Francine pecked both of Antonio's cheeks. He waved to the audience and the Judges as he finally left the Performance Stage.

When he entered the Waiting Room, Pablo immediately cried out, "_Tío _Toni!" and ran up to him.

Antonio laughed as he crouched down and hugged the child tightly. Carmen laughed as she came over and gave her older brother a hug herself. Once they separated, Antonio removed his cap and placed it on top of Pablo's head. "Come here!" and with that, the Spaniard picked up the little boy.

Dracul nodded his head as he shook Antonio's hand, "You killed it."

"_Muchos gracias_, _mi amigo_," Antonio said, still smiling.

"It was fun watching with these two," Dracul gestured at Carmen and Pablo.

"They are what keep me going," Antonio said earnestly. "I'm seriously nothing without them."

"You're gonna go far in this, I reckon," said Dracul.

Antonio came and gave the Romanian host a hug from his encouraging words. "Thank you so much," he said.

"How about that, Frenchie?" Alfred asked, as he grinned at Francine. Their chairs were soon turned around again, backs to the Performance Stage. "Your first one today and he's a _real _pro!"

"Indeed, _mon ami_," Francine smiled. "Despite the crude lies you gave to him about me, he still joined my team. _Moi_."

"Hopefully you know that's how _I _feel," Arthur said sharply. "And you won't do it again."

"Not a chance, _mon petite lapin_," said Francine easily. "It's just so fun to poke fun at you. Really, it is."

Arthur flushed as he snapped, "Damn you, you bloody frog princess!"

"And what's this about lies, anyway?" Sadik smirked. "We all know that you think that guy was pretty hot."

"Indeed, he was quite handsome, no?" Francine asked fondly. She then gave a mischievous smile, "But…maybe if I don't pay much attention to their looks…next time if I am put up against you lot for a dashing man, maybe I _won't _remark on their looks until the next round…"

"Indeed, the next round," nodded Sadik who then gave a big exhale. "The next round will be a tough one; even to those who got _all _of us to turn around..."

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"And there you have it! Francine finally gains a new member for her team – adding the amazing vocals of Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo to her arsenal! Now…" the Romanian host rubbed his hands together. "How about _this _faceless person? Reckon she'll make it through and get one of our Judges to turn around?"

The camera now focuses on three people who are accompanying a figure who already entered the HetaVoice Building. The three in view consisted of two males and one female. The woman and the younger man were Italians while the other man was German.

The single woman had a scowl furrowed on her face. She had dark, shoulder-length hair, which was held back by a headband. She had glaring, yellow-green eyes and was wearing a ruffly, pink top as well as three-quarter jeans and sandals.

The young Italian man looked to be no older than eighteen. He had dark brown hair, as well as light green eyes. He also had a hair curl that was bent and angular. His skin was in between fair and olive in complexion. He was also wearing black pants, a green shirt, and for some reason, was carrying with him an inner tube.

The German was tall and muscular, towering over the two Italians. He had a slightly long face with sharp features. His pale blonde hair was slicked back, and he had very pale blue eyes. He was wearing a black tank top as well as green pants and combat boots.

Like with Ling Chun-Yan, the mystery singer's whole figure was darkened out, only revealing an unidentifiable silhouette.

"I'm here in HetaVoice to show what I'm really made of," said the mystery singer in a serious voice lined with determination. "I've been talked down on and not taken as seriously as I wanted because of how I look."

"People just think she's nothing but a pretty face," spoke up Marcello, the young Italian man and the mystery singer's younger brother. "_Sorella_ _is _really pretty, but she's not just that – she really _is _good at singing. I can vouch for that."

"I can vouch for that, too," spoke up Romana, the mystery singer's older sister, in a gruff tone. "Those bastards are damn wrong to think she's got no talent at all – she's _my sorella_ and she's very talented at singing."

"_Sorella_, _fratello_ and Luddy are such wonderful people to come and support me," said the mystery singer in a happier tone. "I'm so blessed to have them!"

"_Ja_, I know she'll be just fine," Ludwig, the German and the mystery singer's best friend said calmly. "And even if she doesn't get picked, I still think she's a wonderful singer."

"Oh please, spare me the mushy shit!" snapped Romana. "You're just saying that, but I know where your eyes really wander off to, you perverted potato bastard!"

"Excuse me?" Ludwig gave an exasperated sigh. "I do not have such intentions in my mind…"

"Are you calling my _sorella _unattractive then, bastard?!"

"What? No! I am not…"

Dracul scratched his head as he turned to Marcello. "Does this always happen?" he questioned the young Italian man.

Marcello gave a chuckle, "Yeah, pretty much – Romana really hates _sorella's _best friend. Don't really know why, though…"

"Because he's a stupid potato, that's why!" snapped Romana. "My _sorella _is too fucking good for you!"

Luckily, the camera quickly shifts to the back in the Preparation Room before any drastic measures were taken on. Here we see a _really _blurred out image of the mystery singer. The mystery singer seemed to have her hands clutching at her stomach as she gave deep breaths in and out. A loud _'phew'_ was followed soon after.

"I'm ready to show the world what I can do!" announced the mystery singer, more determiend than ever. "I'm not sure if I can go really far into the HetaVoice, but I am _not _going to give up here! It's only the first round and I'm not going to lose here yet!"

It then shows only the mystery singer's feet, which are clad in black flats with dark, knee-length socks. Her footsteps echoed around the room as she emerged into the Performance Stage. During this time, the Judges were shifting in their seats.

"Wonder what this one sounds like," Alfred wondered aloud as he squinted from behind his glasses.

"It sounds like this one is wearing flats," murmured Francine. Seeing her fellow Judges glance at her uncertainly, the French woman shrugged, "There is a chance I could be wrong, though…"

After finally regaining composure and the commotion died down, the mystery singer was ready to perform. An electric keyboard began playing out chords at an even pace. A few bars in the song, the mystery singer started to sing, accompanied by a steady drumbeat.

[Mystery Singer]  
_You think I'm pretty without any make-up on  
__You think I'm finny when I tell the punch line wrong  
__I know you get me  
__So I'll let my walls come down, down._

A sweet voice from a higher vocal range was heard as the audience started to cheer. They began clapping in rhythm to the song, Sadik following suit, while Alfred yelled, "Oh yeah!"

Arthur rubbed his chin as he began thinking to himself. Francine was smiling as the performance's beat picked up only a pinch. A soft bass line also followed, strumming in a higher pitch to match the song.

[Mystery Singer]  
_Before you met me, I was alright  
__But things were kinda heavy  
__You brought me to life  
__Now every February, you'll be my valentine, valentine_

_Let's go all the way tonight  
__No regrets, just love  
__We can dance until we die  
__You and I;  
__We'll be young forever_

Suddenly, the camera pulls back as the mystery singer hits the chorus. The chorus then added an electric guitar that gave strong strums every constant beat, which now added more drums to make a crisper sound.

The mystery singer was revealed to be an Italian girl with somewhat curly, light brown hair tied back into a ponytail; she also had a wild curl dangling down at the side of her head. She was wearing a short-sleeved khaki shirt and skirt of a matching colour as well as a black tie. Her amber eyes were sparkling as she continued performing on stage.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Dracul revealed the mystery singer's name as he waited with her siblings and best friend.

"Felicia Valentino!" announced Dracul.

"Go _sorella_!" cheered Marcello as he gripped his inner tube closer to his body. "You can do it!"

"She's raping that song!" snarled Romana. "Come on! Press the button already, you bastards! Press it!"

Ludwig was watching the Italian girl performing, seemingly tuned out from the world around him as his eyes only focused on her. His face appeared to be rather flustered, much to Dracul's amusement.

Back on the Performance Stage, Felicia raised her free arm up, the other gripping onto the mike as she continued to perform. She smiled at the audience as her voice grew much stronger in the chorus.

[Felicia]  
_You make me feel  
__Like I'm living a teenage dream  
__The way you turn me on  
__I can't sleep  
__Let's runaway and don't ever look back  
__Don't ever look back_

_My heart stops when you look at me  
__Just one touch, now baby I believe  
__This is real  
__So take a chance and don't ever look back  
__Don't ever look back_

"Oh!" Alfred called, grinning at the amount of strength that the singer gained in quite a short time. Sadik began swaying his body around while Arthur clutched at his head, very unsure now. Francine slumped down as she stared at her big, red button, which was now about a few millimetres from her face.

Felicia toned her voice down a bit to match how she sang in the first verse as she approached the second one. The electric guitar also ceased playing as the second verse came into play. The drumbeat however, remained in its strong and crisp tempo.

[Felicia]  
_We drove to Cali and got drunk on the beach  
__Got a motel and built a fort out of sheets  
__I finally found you; my missing puzzle piece  
__I'm complete_

_Let's go all the way tonight  
__No regrets, just love  
__We can dance until we die  
__You and I;  
__We'll be young forever_

_You make me feel  
__Like I'm living a teenage dream  
__The way you turn me on  
__I can't sleep  
__Let's runaway and don't ever look back  
__Don't ever look back_

Francine then chose to press her button. Her chair lit up at once and spun around to face the singer. The audience cheered in delight at the French woman turning around. Felicia was ecstatic upon finally getting picked and the smile on her face grew wider as she walked to the front of the stage.

The French woman smiled as she watched Felicia perform. She leaned back in her chair as she clasped her hands on her chest, fingers intertwined.

In the Waiting Room, Romana, Marcello and Ludwig were cheering. Romana was shouting in glee as she suddenly grabbed onto Ludwig and leapt up and down. Ludwig was making triumphant gestures as he held onto Romana; both were completely unaware of what they were doing. Marcello was doing a victory dance on the spot while holding his inner tube.

When they finally realized what they were doing, Romana angrily hit the German on his shoulder and got off him at once. She was cursing in rapid Italian, her face as red as a tomato. Ludwig rubbed the sore spot where Romana had hit him (though it actually had no effect on him whatsoever), though his face dusted a very scarlet hue, too. He averted his attention back to Felicia, who was still performing as hard as she could.

[Felicia]  
_My heart stops when you look at me  
__Just one touch, now baby I believe  
__This is real  
__So take a chance and don't ever look back  
__Don't ever look back_

_Tonight…tonight…  
__Oh, tonight…_

_Cause you make me!_

Felicia reached a big note of the song, which was in the middle of the last line. However, as she shut her eyes, she was able to hit it very well, her voice strong.

This prompted Arthur to slam his hand down on his button and have his chair spin around. Sadik had withdrawn his hand from his button while Alfred pushed his glasses up his nose, still wondering whether or not he should press his own button.

When the British man came face-to-face with the singer, Arthur had a small smile on his face as he nodded his head up and down in approval. Felicia was happier than ever that another Judge turned around for her.

[Felicia]  
_Feel like I'm having a teenage dream  
__The way you turn me on  
__I can't sleep  
__Let's runaway and don't ever look back  
__Don't ever look back_

_My heart stops the way you look at me  
__Just one touch, now baby I believe  
__This is real  
__So take a chance and don't ever look back  
__Don't ever look…_

_I'm a get your heart racing  
__In my skin-tight jeans  
__Be a teenage dream tonight_

_Let you put your hands on me  
__In my skin-tight jeans  
__Be a teenage dream tonight_

_Tonight…yeah…_

The song finally ended and Felicia gave a bow and waved at the audience. "Thank you!" she called. "_Grazie_!"

Alfred's and Sadik's chair turned around by themselves so they could face the performer. Alfred laughed as he eyed Felicia up and down – she was a really cute girl. Sadik applauded along with Francine and Arthur.

"Hello there, poppet," called Arthur. "What's your name?"

"Ve~ my name is Felicia!" responded the Italian girl in a bright voice. "Felicia Valentino and I'm twenty years old!"

"That was quite lovely, dove," remarked Arthur. "Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the song, however, your voice made it quite exceptional in my opinion. I loved the changes in notes you added here and there – the song became far more enjoyable then."

"Thank you so much," smiled Felicia.

Sadik nodded, "That _was _a lovely performance, Miss Felicia. However, I didn't choose to press my button simply because it didn't…exactly fit for me. You sounded like you were forced to do this song. I don't know, but that's just how it sounded like to me…"

"I think you are wrong there, _monsieur _Sadik," spoke up Francine. "She sounded absolutely _beautiful_ in my opinion." She then turned her attention back to Felicia, "I believe you sang with your all out there – it showed clearly through the control and big notes you were able to hit. That song is actually a bit harder to perform than what some people originally thought. Yet, I believe you did exceptionally."

"Ve~ thank you very much, Francine," said Felicia. "That really means a lot to me."

"Well dudette," called Alfred. "It's your decision now! Artie?" he gestured to the English man who scowled at his unwanted nickname. "Or Frenchie?" he then gestured to the French woman who smiled. "Who do you pick?"

"Um…" Felicia bit her bottom lip as she looked at Arthur and Francine back and forth, looking quite anxious. "Um…I…" the audience's shouting didn't help her, either; in fact, she felt more pressured.

The Italian girl then averted her eyes skyward, as if praying, then shut her eyes as she began to think carefully. After a moment of contemplating, she placed a hand on her hip and looked ready to speak, silencing the audience.

"Well…I've been thinking really hard on this and…" she took a deep breath as she finally gave her decision. "I pick Francine."

The French woman rose her hands up in the air in triumph while Arthur's scowl furrowed deeper as he banged himself back into his seat, his arms crossed over his chest.

Felicia made her way over to Francine as the French woman sauntered up to the Italian. The pair embraced as Francine wrapped nodded and promised that she would help teach Felicia well under her guidance. The Italian girl nodded and smiled. Before she left though, she gave hugs to the other three Judges as well.

When she entered the Waiting Room, she screamed in delight as did her sister and brother. Ludwig and Dracul were applauding her. Felicia instantly hugged her sister and her brother. She also ran up to Ludwig and jumped into his arms, causing the German's face to explode into an unhealthy shade of red.

Back at the Performance Stage, as she made her way back to her chair, Francine looked at Arthur, a triumphant expression etched onto her face, "Ha! In your face, _mon petite lapin_! In your face!"

Arthur's face instantly reddened as the audience let loose a loud _'oooh!'_ at Francine's taunts. The British man stood from his seat as he yelled after the French woman, "It's not over yet, you bloody frog princess! You hear me?! It's _not _bloody over yet!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"And now we reach our final contestant coming in for today!" announced Dracul as he fixed his left glove. Turning his head around, the camera then zoomed onto two women walking onto the red carpet towards the HetaVoice Building.

There was a Danish woman with very short blonde hair that resembled a boy's cut and twinkling baby blues that reflected a wild and youthful vigour. She had a small black hat atop her head and was wearing a black overcoat with red cuffs and pants of matching colour. She was also wearing heavy, black boots.

Accompanying her was a Norwegian lady with flowing, pale blonde hair. Some of it was tied into a side braid. She also had dull, ocean blue eyes. Her dress consisted of pale colours that fit well with the light hue of her hair. She was wearing white stockings and dark shoes.

The Danish woman was chatting excitedly to the Norwegian lady while the said Norwegian lady seemed to be ignoring her with a rather passive expression on her face.

"Meet twenty-seven-year-old Ulrika Koehler, who is joined here today with her best friend Sofia," announced Dracul as the two women came closer.

"Singing is more of a hobby for me," said Ulrika with a wide grin as she was being interviewed. "I never considered doing it seriously; I work as a bartender."

"She sometimes sings in the bar she works at," Sofia said in a rather monotonous voice. "I notice that more people actually start to come in when she starts performing…she's not that bad, she makes people's heads turn around…"

"Why, thank you, Sofi!" smiled the Danish woman. The Norwegian girl just shrugged while Dracul was stunned that Ulrika didn't notice the snide tone in Sofia's voice.

Backstage in the Preparation Room, Ulrika was preparing herself. She adjusted the little hat on her head and she fixed her rather messy looking fringe. She cracked her knuckles and tilted her head from side-to-side; the sound of popping bones making the cameraman flinch.

"Well, here goes nothing," said Ulrika, still maintaining that great cheer. "Not sure if I'm gonna make it, but I know it'll be awesome if I do. Still, I'm gonna give you guys the best performance I've ever given!"

"Any Judges in particular that you want to turn around?" Dracul asked Sofia in the Waiting Room. Much to the Romanian host's surprise, the Norwegian girl started to redden.

"Well…" Sofia's gaze fell downward to their feet; her face looking much more aflame. "…"

Ulrika gave a big exhale as she made her way to the Performance Stage. "I really like all the Judges, honestly. But if Arthur Kirkland were to turn around…" the Danish woman chuckled. "Sofi would kill me! She's practically _in love_ with that British man ever since he released that album _'Magical Days'_."

"Ah…Arthur Kirkland, huh?" Dracul asked, giving a fanged grin to the now shy looking Norwegian girl. "Well maybe, Ulrika would be lucky and have him turn around?" he disregarded the sharp look that Sofia flashed him.

By this time, Ulrika had made it to the Performance Stage. She gave a big beam to the audience as she grabbed the mike. Much to everyone's surprise (except the Danish woman), the stage was tinted black. The Danish woman then lowered her head as she nodded; hearing the drumsticks tap each other three times, a strong drumbeat in a rather upbeat tempo began to play. About two seconds later from the drumbeat, a loud guitar and bass chord blared. This happened again but this time the bass joining the drumbeat. After the third time of the process, the guitar made a complicated run, prompting Ulrika to sing.

[Ulrika]  
_Your love is like a tidal wave  
__Spinning over my head_

Everyone then knew why the stage was tinted black – a lot of blaring white lights began shining from various angles during Ulrika's performance. They either shone on the singer, or shone around various parts of the stage so that the Danish woman was illuminated in a lower light to make her look even more intimidating.

"Oh yeah!" Alfred called as the audience screamed in approval to the Danish woman's song choice. Ulrika had raised her head up, a more fierce and serious look I her eye.

During the guitar parts, Arthur's fingers started to twitch, and he began strumming the air. Sadik smiled at the British man while Francine found the sight amusing to watch. Alfred himself was banging his own head in his seat.

[Ulrika]  
_Drowning me in your promises  
__That are left unsaid_

_You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy  
__The invincible winner, 'cause you know that you were born to be…_

_You're a heartbreaker  
__Dream maker, a love taker  
__Don't you mess around with me  
__You're a heartbreaker  
__Dream maker, a love taker  
__Don't you mess around!  
__No, no, no!_

By this time, Ulrika began stomping her left foot in rhythm to the song's beat, her voice strong and firm. Arthur was strumming on an air guitar again as the complicated runs of the guitar blared on; he was quite enjoying himself.

Francine and Sadik could clearly see that.

[Ulrika]  
_Your love has set my soul on fire  
__Burning out of control  
__You taught me the ways of desire,  
__Now it's taking its toll_

_You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy  
__The invincible winner, cause you know that you were born to be…_

Seeing that Sofia actually looked a little nervous for her best friend, Dracul patted her shoulder as he shouted at the screen, "Come on! Just press it already!"

Back at the Performance Stage, Alfred was swaying around wildly in his chair while Francine chuckled at the sight of him dancing. Sadik was nodding his head up and down but he grinned at Arthur. The British man stopped with what he was doing, realizing that he must have looked like a complete twat in front of everyone.

He glared at Sadik, "What? What are you looking at?"

The Turkish man grinned, "This one sounds more in your ally."

Arthur rolled his eyes, but Sadik continued, "Better snag her before Alfred decides to do so…"

[Ulrika]  
_You're a heartbreaker  
__Dream maker, a love taker  
__Don't you mess around with me  
__You're a heartbreaker  
__Dream maker, a love taker  
__Don't you mess around!  
__No, no, no!_

_Hey!_

The instruments then stopped and played a one or two chords on every first and fourth beat and a bit more melody on the final words. They began to build up as Ulrika added more grit and strength to her voice. The instruments however stopped playing on the chorus again. However, Ulrika's voice was strong enough to hold itself. The instruments re-joined her vocals in the chorus again, building up and finally played, though in a much more even tempo and sound than expected.

[Ulrika]  
_You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy  
__The invincible winner, 'cause you know that you were born to be…  
__  
You're a heartbreaker  
__Dream maker, a love taker  
__Don't you mess around with me!_

_You're a heartbreaker  
__Dream maker, a love taker  
__Don't you mess around..._

_You're a heartbreaker  
__Dream maker, a love taker  
__Don't you mess around with me  
__You're a heartbreaker  
__Dream maker, a love taker…_

_Heartbreaker!  
__Heartbreaker!_

Upon the last word, Ulrika had raised her arm up and lifted her head high. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she opened her mouth wide to let loose the note on the last syllable of the final word. She held it for a few seconds, which warranted a loud scream of delight from the audience. Complicated guitar strums were played during this bout.

"Bah!" Arthur slammed his hand down on his button, prompting it to light up. It swivelled around and he came face-to-face with the singer. The British man smiled up at the Danish woman.

Seeing Arthur smile quite widely shocked the other three Judges while the audience were cheering at the top of their lungs at having the British man turn around. Francine's curiosity began to go a little higher as she wondered what the performer looked like – she must be quite nice-looking to have Arthur turn around and smile like that (that Belgium girl and Vietnamese women were evidence to that).

Alfred had placed a hand over his button and almost pressed it, however he stopped at the last moment. He bit his lip as he slouched down and stared at its shiny, red surface.

[Ulrika]  
_Oh, you're a heartbreaker!  
__Dream maker, a love taker  
__Don't you mess around with me  
__You're a heartbreaker  
__A dream maker, a love taker_

_Heartbreaker!_

At the very last syllable, Ulrika had held the note much longer and made it stronger than the other ones before. The white lights flashed around the black stage as the guitar finalized its complicated strumming and the drumbeat slowed down to a grand finale. The lights eventually wavered, forming a large circle around the stage and once the final note was played, concluding the performance, the lights all focused on Ulrika.

The audience whooped, whistled and cheered in delight while Arthur stood up from his seat to applaud the Danish woman. Ulrika felt really good after her performance and grinned.

The other three Judges turned around, but were instantly blinded by the white lights. Francine placed a hand over her eyes as she squinted to get a better look of the singer; Sadik leaned forward on his chair, while Alfred tried to peer as closely as he could.

For a moment, Francine and Alfred were a bit surprised by how the singer looked like – it looked a bit like a young man…

However, once the lights dimmed and the audience died down, Ulrika's appearance became more determinable and the French woman and American man could plainly see she was a woman.

Sadik whistled, "What's your name?"

"The name's Ulrika!" called the Danish woman, standing more upright. "Ulrika Koehler!"

"That was a very powerful performance, Ulrika," Sadik noted. "However, it sounded rather strained in some notes of the song…I also didn't pick you, because I knew that either Arthur or Alfred would be a better coach for a person with that sort of voice."

"I _really _was so close to turning around," whined Alfred. "But…I don't know! Something was holding me back!"

"Whatever, you twit," snorted Arthur. "She's mine, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Can we do a do-over? Please?" Alfred then asked. "I should've pressed my button."

"We will _not _do a bloody do-over," snapped Arthur. "That's against the rules! What's done is done; it's your fault for not turning around to pick her."

"Aww, come on!" Alfred pouted and continued to whine like a child. "She sounds awesome _and _she looks awesome! Can't we just bend the rules _this _once?"

"I thought a hero played by the rules," said Arthur stiffly.

Alfred then perked up, "Yeah, you're right…okay! Well, that's bad luck for me, then. Good on ya, Artie!" he laughed as did Ulrika and spoke again, "Seriously, I was _so _close, but…something just stopped me from pressing! You were really killing that song, though – I'm sure Artie will take good care of you!"

"Thanks a bunch, Alfred!" called Ulrika.

"Well, I was pumped when I heard you sing, dove," remarked Arthur. "Loved the song choice – you really had great power in your voice and it obviously showed. The way you sang, rather pumped up not only the audience, but me as well. I actually felt like I wanted to play with you onstage."

The audience suddenly shouted in approval at the English man's last sentence. Arthur looked at everyone in surprise when someone from the crowd yelled, "Play your guitar, Arthur!"

Arthur reddened a bit, suddenly looking rather embarassed, "Really? Play? Now? Oh, don't be absurd! I'm sure Dracul has to finish the show soon and-"

"He's just saying that 'cause I'm totes a better player than he is," Alfred said with a smirk, causing Francine to cover her giggling while Sadik gave a loud, _'oooh!'_

Arthur's jaw stiffened and one of his green eyes twitched. The English man snapped, "I am older and more experienced than you are, you bloody twat! I can play better than you ever can!"

"Oh yeah? Well play something now!"

"Don't be absurd!" said Arthur sharply. "I don't think I even have the time now! Tonight's episode is almost finished and…" suddenly Arthur stared at the cameraman, eyes widening slightly. "What? Really? That's quite a bit…okay then, where's my guitar? Just hand me a guitar. I'll show you how it's done!"

One of the musicians passed around a sleek, black electric guitar with a leather strap. The guitar eventually reached Arthur's hands. The English man swung the strap over his head and propped the guitar as he rose from his seat and went on the stage. The audience screamed out in joy and whooped as the British man then cleared his throat, "How about this? Sing from the chorus where at first no instruments were playing."

Ulrika was grinning from ear-to-ear; Arthur Kirkland was going to perform with her – he was going to play guitar! The Danish woman really hoped that her Norwegian friend would be watching this…

Seeing the British man nod, Ulrika then started from the point that Arthur had signalled. When Ulrika finished singing the first chorus and reached the second one, Arthur started playing, his legs somewhat spread apart as he expertly started strumming. By the time Ulrika sang _"Heartbreaker!"_ Arthur was now in the zone.

Much to the Judges' surprise and the audience's delight, the English man began crouching as his fingers skillfully danced along the strings of the electric guitar, blaring the complicated runs perfectly. Arthur's eyes were shut at this point as he bit his bottom lip, absorbed in the music.

When it reached the ending, Arthur leapt high up in the air to do the final strum, landing on his feet again, though in a bit more of a courched stance with one leg bent while the other was stretched out. He was panting; very much out of breath as the audience cheered at the top of their lungs and stood from their seats. The Judges also stood from their own seats. The British man then shook hands and gave a small embrace to Ulrika.

After she left the Performance Stage, Arthur returned the guitar to its original owner and wiped the sweat that gathered on his forehead with his arm. "Phew…" he sighed. "That was jolly good, I think."

"That was pretty insane, Arthur," laughed Sadik. "Must've taken a hell of a lot from you – you're all red."

"Dang Artie," Alfred grinned. "I'm still awesomer than you!"

Arthur rolled his eyes as he sat back in his chair, "In your dreams, you git. I have skills."

In the Waiting Room, Ulrika had run up to Sofia and enveloped her in a huge embrace. The Norwegian lady was red-faced with a rather irritated expression on her face, but nevertheless, didn't push the Danish woman away.

"How about that, Sofi?" smiled Ulrika. "Arthur Kirkland turned around for me!"

Sofia nodded, though she looked flustered at the mention of the English man's name. "Be grateful he of all people turned," she said.

"Sofi must be so jealous of me," laughed Ulrika. "But she doesn't have to worry – I'm not interested in Arthur like that. Oh! I should've asked him for an autograph for Sofia! She would've loved that! Well…maybe next time I'll get one from him; I'm sure he won't mind."

"Nah, he won't," Dracul waved goodbye to the two women as the left the HetaVoice Building. He then shifted his attention back to the camera, "And there you have it, folks! The end of the second day of the Blind Auditions! what more amazing talent and crazy antics will the Judges pull in our next episode of HetaVoice? I'm your host, Dracul Dalca, and I hope you enjoyed!"

…

…

…

"Next time on the HetaVoice, expect the talent to continue blowing the roof off of the building as the Judges are getting closer and _closer _to filling up their teams!" spoke up Dracul's voice-over. "Expect to still see some bidding against each other, however their willingness to press the button will be harder than ever!"

"You gonna press it?" Sadik mouthed to Arthur in a quick shot. The British man gave a yell of frustration as he banged his head a few centimetres away from his shiny, red button.

The camera then shifts to a scene where Alfred looks determined at the contestant, "I'm willing to fight and work my ass off for you!"

"Oh, please…" Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not smoking, dude!" protested Alfred. "I'll fight for you to the very end, man! Totes I would!"

The camera then shifts to another scene where Francine is smiling at the contestant, "Well_, _you are all mine – a part of my team, _mon cher_. That is what matters."

Dracul's voice-over finally concluded in a jovial manner, "Now, have a nice day, everybody!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

* * *

_And there you have it! Episode 2 of the Blind Auditions! This one took much longer than I expected...but I'm glad I was able to pull through and make it. Only 2 more episodes of the Blind Auditions until the next round of HetaVoice (to those of you who _have _watched The Voice, you know what I'm talking about). I'm nowhere near started in making the next chapter, though... T.T __A list of who's who in this episode:_

Toris Laurinaitis (Lithuania)  
Feliks (Poland) _[I can never spell this guy's last name correctly...]  
_Emma van Stein (Belgium)  
Lars van Stein (Netherlands/Holland)  
Julia "Julchen" Weillschmidt (Nyo!Prussia)  
Louise Weillschmidt (Nyo!Germany)  
Lien Nguyen (Vietnam)  
Xiang Mei (Taiwan)  
Tino Väinämöinen (Finland)  
Berwald Oxenstierna (Sweden)  
Peter (Sealand)  
Raivis Galante (Latvia)  
Eduard von Bock (Estonia)  
Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo (Spain)  
Carmen Fernandez-Carriedo (Nyo!Spain)  
Pablo (Chibi!Spain)  
Felicia Valentino (Nyo!Italy)  
Ludwig (Germany)  
Romana Valentino (Nyo!Romano/Nyo!South Italy)  
Marcello Valentino (Seborga)  
Ulrika Koehler (Nyo!Denmark)  
Sofia (Nyo!Norway)

_Songs sung:  
_Toris Laurinaitis = I'm Yours by Jason Mraz (Vers. by Devon Barley)  
Emma van Stein = How Come You Don't Call Me by Alicia Keys (Vers. by Carmen Smith)  
Julia "Julchen" Weillschmidt = S&M by Rihanna (Vers. by Yianna Stavrou)  
Lien Nguyen = It's a Man's Man's Man's World by (Vers. by Karise Eden)  
Tino Väinämöinen = Miss You by Rolling Stones (Vers. by Yshrael Pascual)  
Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo = Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper (Vers. by Javier Colon)  
Felicia Valentino = Teenage Dream by Katy Perry (Vers. by Nicki Dawson)  
Ulrika Koehler = Heartbreaker by Pat Benetar (Vers. by Angie Johnson)

_You'll notice that I didn't add Peter's last name - here in this story, he and Arthur aren't brothers. The people who Feliks is also referring to when describing fashion to Toris are Chun-Yan (Nyo!China) and Lovino. __I honestly don't sometimes get Nyo!Italy's portrayals in certain fics - she's seen as weak and bubble-headed as her male counterpart, but I thought she was strong and more emotional. _

_I actually saw some designs of Nyo!Denmark and Nyo!Norway - (here's the site, just scroll almost to the bottom. Type in _ _ then add this bit: _AxisPowersHetalia/GenderFlipVersions_._

_If anyone's wondering about certain characters' "reasons" for troubles in life, those will be revealed later on in chapters only concerning the relationship the contestants will have in the HetaVoice mansion they stay at after the Blind Auditions segment is complete (so yes, you'll learn another more vital reason as to why Antonio was kicked out of his house and how Pablo came to be as well [don't worry, it's not incest - I find that disturbing]). __Chibi!Spain gave me diabetes when I saw him. My sister screamed and showed him to me. My best friend just found him adorable and gushed over him (much like Spain himself around children). Damn you Chibibun for giving me cavities, diabetes and a busted cochlea. XD _

_Thoughts and opinions, guys? I actually wonder about your thoughts on the teams so far:_

Team Sadik: Agatha Clarkland, Dmitri Yektarina, Im Yong Soo, Tino Väinämöinen  
Team Arthur: Lovino Vargas, Mitchell Mancham, Emma van Stein, Lien Nguyen, Ulrika Koehler  
Team Francine: Ling Chun-Yan, Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo, Felicia Valentino  
Team Alfred: Erika Zwingli, Toris Laurinaitis, Julia "Julchen" Weillschmidt

_I better get a move on and make the next chapter. Have a nice day, everyone! :DDD_


	4. Episode 3: The Blind Auditions, Day 3

_Hey there guys, HetaWriter/HetaReader here; and I sincerely apologize for not updating this story for a while. I most probably look like a complete dick. DX honestly, I was on-hiatus with this story for a bit because I had writer's block and didn't know what to think up to try and keep this story entertaining and interesting in any way I can. That, and I was updating other stories more._

_Honestly, I want to try and make it up to you guys by having this chapter written up, and having the other one written up and uploaded sometime this week. Just please, bear with me - because I'm an ambitious idiot who loves starting new stories before finishing old ones. TTnTT_

_Anyway, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart, I thank all those who decide to still stick with this fic; to the faves, follows AND the reviews! I hopefully, will be able to make up for the lack of an update for...a while...but, to warn all of you; my updates won't follow a pattern at all - it'll either range from one day to one month, so be warned._

**_CloudyDays12_: **_Ah, I see. You will see them both, but not now. ) Thank you. _

_**ChokoKoko: **Ahaha, yeah...yes. Chibi!Spain is adorable, isn't he? Hehe...Norway. ) Ah, I'm glad - I tried to keep everyone in-character so, that's very good. :) Actually...I didn't even intend on that one - I was just trying to get teams and pairing up for the next round. XD  
_

_**Miwasaki Yuki-rin: **It's been a long time since I've seen you around. How are you? Ah, thank you very much for the compliment. =^^= Yes, I can imagine Arthur playing guitar like that, too - he's a punk underneath his "gentleman" exterior, after all. Those are really kind words - I try and work hard with everything I write; I try to make them as believable as I can.  
_

_**Greece's kitty: **Actually, Fem!Greece won't be a contestant. She does appear, but pretty later on. (I apologize for that...^^;))  
_

_**H-Tagi: **Wow...that sounds like a lot of sugar. 0w0 yeah, I quite liked typing out Antonio's part - it flowed more smoothly with me. :) No, don't be sorry for your hyped reaction - it's perfectly fine.  
_

_Now, shall we continue?_

* * *

**Episode 3 – Blind Auditions Day 3**

The camera is zooming into a rather classy restaurant with crimson carpeting and round tables with white tablecloths covering them, producing a very close shot. The camera's focus then zooms out onto the man sitting at the table.

The man is a familiar Romanian man with shaggy, strawberry blonde hair, red eyes and a fang protruding from one side of his mouth. Dracul smiled at the camera, tonight wearing a black trench coat, and waves. "Hello there, everybody!" he greeted. "Welcome back to another episode of HetaVoice! I'm your host, Dracul Dalca!" he then snaps his fingers and points directly at the camera, signalling a shift between shots.

The shot is suddenly focused on the four Judges who are sitting in the HetaVoice Building's Performance Stage. The camera then zooms in on the Judges one-by-one.

It first focuses on Sadik who glances sideways as he leans slightly forward in his chair. Today, he was wearing a form-fitting black shirt as well as khaki pants, but still kept his mask. "The Blind Auditions are the most unique part of the process," he said. The camera then shifted shots.

This time, it focused onto Francine who was now wearing a regal, violet dress that shimmered under the stage lights, "Since our chairs have their backs towards the performer, we do not know what to face when we press that button." She then slams her hand down onto the big, red button, causing her chair to light up and the camera's shots to get shifted.

"We do not know what they look like," said Arthur who now came into the shot. He was wearing a black-and-white checked bandana around his neck, ripped jeans and a shirt with an oriental designed unicorn on it. "We don't even know what their gender is." He arched an eyebrow, then leaned over and pressed his button.

The shot then focused onto Alfred who was wearing his bomber jacket as well as some jeans and a shirt in the design of the flag of the USA. He grinned, "Dude, it could even be like some _huge_, soulful voice coming out, and it turns out to be from a little girl. Maybe even a mad soprano and it turns out to be a dude." He then presses his own button, prompting his chair to turn right around.

"What is certain though," continued Sadik as he finally pressed his own button. "Is that the one auditioning is giving the performance of their life."

The camera this time is drawn back into a far-shot so its focus was on all four of the Judges who are now facing the mike in the stand.

"It's a lovely notion."

This time, the camera now focuses onto Dracul who clasps his hands together as his main course enters. He continues, "Join these four megastar Judges on their mission to find the first ever HetaVoice!"

"Each coach is looking for eight singers to place in their team," explained Arthur in an individual shot.

"We have a mission here not only to discover the first HetaVoice," said Alfred in another individual shot. "But to also win this thing!"

Sadik then came into another one, "If more than one of us turn around, as Count Dracula had said himself before; there might be a bit of a bidding war between us."

It then shows a shot of what would probably come up later on – it shows Arthur angrily shaking his fist at Alfred while in another shot, Francine shouts, "Pick me!" while Sadik is just cracking up at the whole thing while clapping his hands.

"And then…" Francine gave a slightly impish smile. "_Monsieur_ or _mademoiselle_ must choose for themselves whose team they want to be on."

The camera then zooms back and onto the Performance Stage, which this time has an audience that are jumping up and down excitedly and screaming at the top of their lungs in delight.

This prompts Dracul's voice-over to now continue, "So far, Sadik Adnan has four of his eight singers." It then shows shots of the members of his team: English woman Agatha Clarkland, Ukrainian construction worker Dmitri Yektarina, Korean high school student Im Yong Soo, and Finnish caretaker Tino Väinämöinen.

In another individual shot, Sadik explains, "I want a voice that's honest and pulls me in. A voice that's believable and tells me a story."

Dracul's voice-over continued, "Arthur Kirkland meanwhile, has five of his eight spots filled up!" it then shows shots of the members in Arthur's team: Italian culinary student Lovino Vargas, Seychellois lifeguard Mitchell Mancham, Belgian patissieur Emma van Stein, shy Vietnamese woman Lien Nguyen, and Danish bartender Ulrika Koehler.

"My team has strong contenders," Arthur said seriously. "Each has their own original sound. The voice that I like to find is one that keeps you raptured and utterly mesmerized…just like these five."

"Francine Bellemare has also secured four out of eight!" called Dracul's voice-over. Shots of the members of Francine's team are then showed: young-looking Chinese woman Ling Chun-Yan, shy Canadian girl Madeleine Williams, Spanish busker Antonio Fernandez Carriedo and finally Italian girl Felicia Valentino.

"My team has talent, _non_?" Francine smiles in an individual shot. "Three beautiful queens and one handsome king…they each have their own style and I quite love that. However, I would like to get at least one more boy in my team."

"And finally, Alfred F. Jones has three members in his own team," said Dracul's voice-over. The shots then showed the members of Alfred's team: sweet little Liechtenstein girl Erika Zwingli, medical Lithuanian student Toris Laurinaitis, and finally the confident Prussian woman Julia "Julchen" Weillschmidt.

"My team are awesome, aren't they?" laughed Alfred in an individual shot. "Totally rad! I know I've got the least number of peeps in my team, but that only means when everyone else has filled their spots, I still have some left! And then some totally huge-ass voice comes along, they wouldn't have any spots left! My team definitely put the cherries on top of the cake, though!"

The shot then goes off and Dracul speaks up, "Tonight, as we draw closer to the end of our Blind Auditions phase, the pressure is built high!"

"Things are going to get tense now, are they?" Sadik asked with a nervous chuckle at Arthur's direction. "You gonna press your button?" his response was the British man shrieking in frustration.

"Unlike her I'm actually gonna look you in the eye and work for you!" Alfred shouts at an unseen contestant.

Francine arches an eyebrow in Alfred's direction, "_Excusez-moi_? But where do you think I even look at when I talk to him?"

"Do we seriously have to answer that question, frog princess?" Arthur asked, rolling his eyes. Sadik snorts in response as he gives a cough and covers his mouth.

The camera pans back to Dracul who is seen placing the napkin on his lap. He then grins at the camera and calls, "And now, we shall embark on the next day of the Blind Auditions! The second last day I might add! Who will be the next HetaVoice? Tune in on this episode! The Blind Auditions, Day Three! I'll see you there once I finish my meal!"

He is about to stick his fork in his food when he noticed that the camera is still focused on him. He turns around and sticks his hand into the lens, "Now, get that outta my face! Do you mind? I'm eating!"

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

While Dracul was eating though, the first person to audition was already making his way to the HetaVoice Building, walking in fast strides on the red carpet. He was revealed to be a Hungarian man who had dark brown hair that was tied back into a short ponytail, and glittering, grass green eyes. He was also wearing a brown vest, a white shirt, green pants and what appeared to be boots.

He was accompanied by what appeared to be an old, ragged man who had an untamed beard, yet was wearing a suit. He had green eyes, too, but they were glaring. There was also what appeared to be a child with light auburn hair and wearing

"I'm Daniel Hunyadi," the man smiled as the camera caught him and hurriedly made its way over to him. "I'm twenty-seven years old. When I'm not busy with my job as a security guard, I actually do volunteer work."

It then shows a shot of the place where Daniel was volunteering at - it was a building similar to that of a shelter and a retirement home. The kitchen had white walls and many platters and plates were seen as well as a pleasant smell wafting from within.

"We give food to four thousand people a day that are living with life-threatening illnesses such as HIV AIDS and all kinds of cancers," Daniel continued with a fond smile on his face. "It's the most rewarding thing I could ever do."

It then shows a medium shot of him playing with the child (honestly, the cameraman couldn't tell whether the child was a boy or a girl), and laughed as did the young one. The ragged, yet formal wearing, old man was simply watching the pair with serious eyes.

"Six years ago, I got clean off of crystal meth after being evicted and leaving a street gang I was part of," said the Hungarian man as he licked his lips. "I was homeless for a while and because I used up crystal meth, I found out I was possibly HIV positive. At that time, I didn't think I could get out of the hole I found myself in." He cut off, still obviously affected by the memory, but eventually had a smile spread out across his face, "But...here I am! I honestly thought that this could never happen for me."

It then shows Daniel in the Preparation Room as he's thinking quietly to himself rather than moving around and even practising his song like previous contestants.

"The fact...that I get to be heard," said Daniel with a small smile forming on his face. "...by my personal idol, Sadik..." here he gave a small chuckle. "This is a validation of sorts."

"I am...very proud of him," the old man, revealed to be Daniel's uncle, "Mags", said with a small, fond smile crossing his face. "He's been dreaming of this moment since he was about six."

"He's been through so much," piped up the child as they were revealed to be called "Alice". The cameraman was glad that the gender of the child was now determined. "I wanna be strong and kind like Danny when I get older!"

"My uncle," Daniel said softly. "I know I caused him a lot of disappointment, and I know that I worried him a lot. He's my biggest support; I'm so glad I have him in my life. Same with Alice - even though she's not mine, I'm glad to have her in my life; she's one of the things that keeps me going - that prevents me from going back to where I was at the beginning."

Now, it shows the Hungarian man rise to his feet as he starts to make his way to the Performance Stage. "This...is huge for me," he said firmly. "This could propel me to what I've wanted to do for my entire life, since I was a little kid. All I'm ever good at was music and fighting. There _is_ beauty that comes from ashes; you can have a second chance if you want one, and if you fight for it hard enough. If you want it hard enough, you can have it."

And with that, the Hungarian man stepped out on the Performance Stage with the mike in his hand and the stage was painted an orange colour. Not long after he was on the stage, he nodded at the musicians to begin.

At once, a kick drum initiated; giving a constant beat like a heart's pulse, and accompanied by an electric guitar and a solemn bass. Daniel raised his hands and began clapping in rhythm, which encouraged the audience to shout in enthusiasm and start clapping, too. The four Judges were quite interested already by the crowd's reaction.

"Seems like this one wants to get to the point," noted Sadik with a grin.

"How interesting," agreed Arthur, his arms crossed over his chest.

[Daniel]  
_I'm gonna fight 'em off  
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back  
They're gonna rip it off  
Taking their time right behind my back_

_And I'm talking to myself at night because I can't forget  
Back and forth through my mind behind a cigarette_

All of a sudden, the kick was no longer alone and was accompanied by a more rock-like beat with snare and hi-hat as well as crash. The electric guitar blared more vividly as well as the bass, picking it up in sound. Arthur was nodding his head in rhythm to the song and closed his eyes, really getting into the rock-like sound produced from the song.

Sadik also was nodding his head, obviously approved of the song. Alfred was playing with an air guitar in his seat while Francine simply arched an eyebrow and stared down at her button.

[Daniel]  
_And the message coming from my eyes says, "Leave it alone!"_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, yeah, yeah!_

All of a sudden, the rock-like tone was gone and it returned to the same, creeping and steady music at the beginning; just the kick and the simple bass. However, this time, the electric guitar played more complicated runs.

[Daniel]  
_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!  
Yeah, yeah, yeah!  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!_

_Don't wanna hear about it  
Every single one's got a story to tell  
They all know about it  
From the queen of England to the hounds of hell_

_If I catch you comin' back my way, I'm gonna sell it to you  
You, you, you, you, you, you!_

The audience was screaming in delight as they began moving their bodies around in rhythm to Daniel's song and how bold the Hungarian man was on stage. He had hunched over slightly as he clutched at his diaphragm; his green eyes ablaze with a determined expression as he pointed at various members of the audience while he sang the final line.

Francine arched her eyebrow, her face knotted into a curious expression at seeing how everyone in the crown was enjoying themselves. Sadik was rubbing at his stubbled chin as he listened some more. Arthur arched his eyebrow; surprised at the reference of the Queen, and before he knew it, he found himself with an amused look on his face.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Mags and Alice were watching from the television screen at Daniel's performance.

"You can do it, Danny!" cheered Alice as she began jumping on the spot with Mags' arms around her. "You can do it! You'll turn them around!"

Mags simply smiled as he watched his nephew do what he wanted to do on stage.

[Daniel]  
_And that ain't what you want to hear, but that's what I'll do_

_And the feeling coming from my bones says, "Mind your own!"  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, yeah, yeah!_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!_

"Yours," Francine said to Arthur's direction. "Sounds like he's all you." She then leaned a little and nodded in Sadik's direction, "Or _monsieur_ Sadik."

Arthur snorted back at her and rolled his eyes, disregarding her as he listened more closely to the performer. Daniel had punched the air several times when he sang the second chorus as the song regained its rock-like stance once more, hyping the crowd up even more.

Soon enough, the rocking music lowered again to the steady, creeping and chilled tone from before, but the electric guitar's chords became much more complicated. Daniel strode over to the other side of the stage; his steps exuded a great confidence as he held his head high.

The Turkish man held his hand over the button as he grinned now; causing the audience to scream in delight as encouragement to press the button and turn around. However, he paused as Daniel finally reached the song's hook.

[Daniel]  
_I'm going to Wichita  
Far from this opera forever more  
I'm gonna work the straw  
Make the sweat drip, drip out of every pore_

_And I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin'  
And I'm bleedin' right before the Lord.  
All the words are gonna bleed from me and I will think no more_

_And the stains coming from my blood tell me,  
"Go back home!"_

And just like before, the rock-like sound came back as the snares were built to a crash and the electric guitar as well as the bass were now playing more loudly and with much more guts. Daniel forced more power in his voice as he made a harsh punch from the final line (second line on the final chorus).

It was here that Sadik finally lowered his hand and pressed his button. At once his chair glowed white and spun around as the audience screamed in mirth at the top of their lungs at seeing that Daniel was chosen.

A big smile broke out onto Daniel's face as he pointed right at Sadik whose own grin was widening at what he was seeing. The Turkish man stood from his seat and began moving his body much like the audience, who now had louder screams of delight at seeing him dance.

Back in the Waiting Room, Alice was screaming in delight, "He did it! He did it! _Whoooo_!" Uncle Mags simply cackled as he ruffled Alice's head, careful not to touch what appeared to be a single, wild curl.

Francine was licking her lips, still contemplating whether or not he should turn around - this male had a husky voice and a deeper tone; really good for rock music and possibly soul, but was he needed for her team? Alfred was still, meanwhile, fooling around on an air guitar.

Arthur's emerald eyes widened when he saw that Sadik had already picked him. The British man then rubbed his chin as he wondered if he should press his button or not now…

[Daniel]  
_Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, oh  
Oh, oh, oh, yeah!_

The British man then withdrew his hand and decided not to press his button.

The music had stopped on a high note for a moment, as a pause.

[Daniel]  
_Yeah!_

The song ended with all of the instruments playing down to a lower key via chromatics where the drums were in laid-back rolls and the guitars were blaring down complicated chords as well.

The audience was screaming in delight as they applauded uproariously at the Hungarian man's performance just as Daniel laughed and felt really amazing; the euphoric adrenaline still pumping from his performance.

"Yo!" Sadik called as he planted himself back in his seat. "What's up, stud? What up, man? What's your name?"

Daniel laughed, still out of breath that he was actually picked by the Judge he wanted the most, "I'm doing...I'm doing amazingly! My name is Daniel; Daniel Hunyadi, and, man...!" he then wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke up quickly, "Sadik, God I listen to all your tracks: Trails of Mystique, Footprints in the Sand, Stigma...honestly, you're my inspiration and one of the reasons why I auditioned for this show!"

"Wow, really?" Sadik felt his face grow aflame from underneath his mask at hearing that as his grin was now like a Cheshire cat's; he was glad he was wearing a mask.

Daniel was about to respond when he simply gave a chuckle at how fan-boyish he must have seemed to one of his singing idols and felt his pale face become red. The audience however cheered at the Hungarian man's words, not minding him being this towards the Turkish Judge.

Francine laughed, "I love it, I love it! See? This is why I love doing this show; it's because it gives real amazing voices and vocalists the opportunity to show their talent and shine, and you sounded so energetic, _mon cher_. I was dying to see what was behind my chair," here she couldn't help but give him an impish look.

Arthur knew that look and he rolled his eyes; it was the look the French woman got whenever her eyes settled upon a handsome man. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"But you know; I looked at _mon petite lapin_ here," Francine gestured in Arthur's direction, who snapped in disapproval. "And I was also looking at _monsieur_ Sadik, saying, "_Mon dieu_! _This is all you!"_ and well, I'm glad he did."

"Dude, I would've felt really, _really_ stupid to push my button," piped up Alfred. "Knowing now. There is no way in hell he would've picked anybody else except Sadik!"

"I know," agreed Francine with a chortle.

Here, the audience, as well as Daniel and Sadik, began cracking up in laughter.

Arthur coughed, though it could be taken as a snigger at the American man's wisecrack. "For the last second," the British man spoke up over the noise to have his input in. "I was really tempted and thinking that I should turn my chair around, but then this old chap turned his chair around," he pointed to Sadik. "And I thought to myself; this is a match made in Heaven. Honestly, now that I look at it; you remind me of each other, for sure."

"Thanks!" called Daniel in response as Sadik leaned over and patted Arthur's shoulder. The British man nodded and rolled his eyes at the affectionate gesture as the Turkish man returned to his seat.

"You sounded outstanding," remarked Sadik. "Seriously. I felt an instant connection with you," the Turkish man snapped his fingers and continued. "You have style, you have presence, you have the talent; will you join my team?"

"Yeah! Of course!"

And with that, Sadik got up from his chair and went up to Daniel, who made his way over to the Turkish man. The pair gave a bro-hug to each other, and, just like all his other members, Sadik raised one of Daniel's arms as the audience cheered, hooted and screamed in delight at the Hungarian man's success.

"To have someone compliment you like that," Sadik smiled fondly as Daniel had waved goodbye to the other Judges and the audience as he left the Performance Stage to get to the Waiting Room. "It really is a nice gesture and very flattering. It's also inspired me to bring my team up even more now - so they could be more determined when the later stages of HetaVoice arrives. They need all the training, inspiration and determination they can get. But to inspire someone so young and full of energy..." the Turkish man nodded. "It makes everything worthwhile."

Once Daniel entered the Waiting Room, Alice screamed in delight, "You did it!" and she ran up to the Hungarian man to cuddle him. Daniel simply laughed and swept her up, starting to carry her as Mags came over as well. "I've always been so proud of you," smiled the old man. "Today was no exception."

The Hungarian man felt his emotions choke into his throat and his eyes grow wet, but he didn't cry. Instead, he embraced him and murmured, "I know...I'm glad to have you..."

As he left, Daniel gave his final words as he held Alice's right hand while Mags was holding her left one. "I still can't believe that I've been picked; and by Sadik of all people!" remarked Daniel. "I'm just...no words can describe how I feel right now - but it's an amazing feeling! I won't let him down."

Back in the Performance Stage, Arthur nodded in Sadik's direction, "Congratulations, old chap - you have the first audition for today. He's a force to be reckoned with."

"Indeed," Sadik nodded in response, however, the British man could see that the Turkish man seemed a bit more...quiet. As if he was reminiscing something. "Is something the matter, old chap?" Arthur asked, voice carefully lined with a little bit of concern.

"No," the Turkish man smiled; amused that Arthur was actually showing concern towards him. "It's just...I'm even more determined to not let my team down, you know? Daniel looks up to me, my team looks up to me, so there's no way in hell that I'm gonna let them down." He then turned to face Arthur and smirked, "You better be ready then, Artie!"

Arthur arched a bushy eyebrow and gave a smirk himself, "You're on, you old git."

Their chairs turned around back into positions as Sadik gave a loud guffaw at the British man's fighting words.

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"Hey!" Dracul panted as he adjusted his top hat and spoke into his phone. "Sorry I was kinda late, but I've finished my meal now! I know, I know, I missed out on one audition, but gimme a break! It was only _one_ audition - and the guy was Hungarian! As if I was gonna interview him!" after a sigh, he nodded, "Yeah, yeah; I'll only eat when it's commercial. Yeah, alright...yeah." He hung up, pocketed his phone, and turned towards the camera, grinning fangs as he motioned to the red carpet where the next contestant to audition was making his way to the HetaVoice Building.

This man was an Australian who stood with his head held high and he had a wild grin on his face; his light green eyes sparkling with a roguish twinkle from behind slightly bushy eyebrows. He also had pale brown hair with that was waved back and had two ahoge. He was wearing a brown shirt with a green bandana around his neck, and baggy, black shorts as well as thongs on his feet. He also had a bandage over his nose. For some odd reason, the Australian man also had a koala clutching onto his back. The koala itself had a rather demonic sparkle in its evil-looking eyes.

The Australian man was accompanied by two people - young girl and a person who Dracul, for the life of him, could not tell whether it was either a boy or a girl.

The young girl had a more petite stature with small, but still bushy eyebrows. She was wearing shorts, a tank-top with a pink smock, a bandage on her forehead and a red ascot. She had brown eyes and brown hair, which was fastened into a short, curly side-ponytail by a scrunchie, which consisted of a red flower.

The person who Dracul couldn't determine the gender of, had light brown hair as well, which was styled in curly bobs on each side of their head, as well as having a spiral-shaped ahoge on their left side. Their eyebrows were also rather thick. They were wearing black pants with white stripes on the side, a red sweater and a hat of matching colour. The person was also carrying around a wooden staff.

"Next contestant coming in is twenty-one-year-old Jack Cullingham," announced Dracul.

"Accompanying him here today to give him support are members of his family - sister Zoey, and...sibling, Leigh?" The Romanian man drooped as he thought to himself, _'Great...even then, they don't reveal their gender...'_

The three entered the HetaVoice Building. Jack was laughing along with Leigh while Zoey rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Feels so great to be here!" Jack said warmly as he smiled during his interview. "Really; I feel so at ease here, actually. Music...means more to me than people think - it's not only a form of expressing myself, but whenever I had myself a time I was feeling down in the dumps; it was my way of escaping reality, mate."

The camera then shows a scene where Leigh is patting Jack's back as the Australian man simply grinned and gave reassuring words that he was alright. Zoey arched an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at her older brother. The koala had actually climbed up to Jack's head and rested its own head atop of his.

"When I a kid, I was picked on a lot because I was overweight," explained Jack, his once upbeat voice toning down a bit as he recalled why he needed a source of escapism in the first place. "It was really...a bunch of crap. I thought I looked like crap, and soon I believed that I _was _nothing but crap. That I wasn't gonna be as good as the other kids because I wasn't as_ "nice-looking"_ as they were. So obviously, I had to change that." And with that, his green eyes held an amused spark, "I started losing weight in the middle of high school, and honestly..." he laughed and motioned at his now lean and well-toned body. "I can't feel any greater or any happier!"

"The bullying..." Leigh sighed as the camera turned its attention onto him and Zoey. "It was truly horrible; those kids would call him names, push him around, steal things from him...and those were only the tip of the iceberg. Really, it was a terrible business…"

"Well, they can go suck on their words," sniffed Zoey with her nose high. "Because Jack not only looks great, but he _sounds_ great. Really, despite his body changing, his voice still remains the same; and I'm glad, too. It shows that he's still the same old Jack."

Dracul nodded at hearing their words; he couldn't help but give a smile, too. It was nice to see that Jack was doing better from a tormented childhood and had supportive siblings. The Romanian man could definitely relate to the Australian man in regards to a rough childhood.

Jack was now in the Preparation Room, his hands behind his back as he whistled to himself a tune that sounded vaguely familiar. He then stretched his arms and began bouncing on the balls of his feet as he nodded to himself and grinned again. _"You can do it!"_ he uttered to himself in a determined, yet soft voice.

"From the feedback I was getting when I came back after losing weight, I can see that people have shallow views, really," Jack said more seriously. "HetaVoice is a good opportunity for me to see if my voice really outweighs how I look. My voice is never-changing, and it defines me more as a person than how I look. To have just one Judge turn around. Well, I'd be true blue ecstatic. Really, I would."

The Australian man made his way onto the Performance Stage with the mike in his hand as he looked out at the open and at the audience. His stomach churned over, nervous, yet at the same time; really excited. He gave a sheepish smile to the audience as he prepared himself onto the now tinted with a pure white.

"Wonder what this one is like," Francine murmured to herself as she rested against her chair. Sadik nodded in her direction; agreeing to her statement.

Arthur simply narrowed his eyes, "We'll just have to wait and see."

"So nervous, dude," Alfred said with a nervous chuckle.

After an exhale, Jack nodded at the musicians, signalling he was ready, and the music played. A beautiful yet simple piano began to play as delicately crisp guitar strings resounded with it. A soft hi-hat was also being tapped and an electric keyboard joined in. The Australian cleared his throat and began to sing.

[Jack]  
_I set out on a narrow way many years ago  
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road  
But I got lost a time or two  
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through  
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you_

A rich voice had escaped from Jack's mouth as he held his hand over his chest. Several times, on the end of the phrases, the Australian man would apply a smooth and well-toned run. A few times, Jack closed his eyes, immersing himself in the song and because it required more force to sing certain notes.

Alfred arched an eyebrow at the voice and instantly leaned forward to slam his hand down on his button, causing it to turn around. Arthur likewise also pressed his own button a second or two after the American man did so. The audience erupted into applause and cheering at seeing two Judges turn around after the first verse. Sadik and Francine simply looked at the Brit and the American in amazement.

Back in the Waiting Room, Leigh smiled; eyes growing moist, "Oh my God, there's two of them already..."

"Yeah," Zoey nodded, a fond smile now crossing her once serious, scowling face as she watched her older brother perform on stage. Dracul found himself smiling as well.

Jack had opened his eyes after finishing the final phrase of the first verse and smiled a much softer smile at both Alfred and Arthur. He then reached the chorus.

[Jack]  
_Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars  
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms  
This much I know is true  
That God blessed the broken road  
That let me straight to you_

_Yes, it did  
Yeah…_

The soft hi-hat became firmer as the piano, electric keyboard and the plucking guitar strings continued producing the same soft and simple melody. Jack then walked to the front of the stage. He made large, yet soft and flowing gestures as he reached the second verse.

Francine was rubbing her chin as she began thinking considerably; listening closely to the performer's voice. She was pondering still on whether to choose him or not.

[Jack]  
_I think about the years I spent just passing through  
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you  
But you just smiled and take my hand  
You've been there, you understand  
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true._

_Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars  
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms  
This much I know is true  
That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you_

Francine leaned forward and quickly pressed her button, prompting her chair to turn around as the crowd hooted and cheered. The French woman arched an eyebrow upon facing Jack, but she smiled widely at seeing him and leant forward in her chair, resting her elbow close to her button's side. Honestly, she did not expect the singer to look like that, but it was a really nice surprise.

Arthur glanced at the French woman sharply; he was hoping that she wouldn't turn around.

Sadik meanwhile glanced at his three fellow Judges and shrugged; his arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at his own button, wondering whether or not he should press it.

"He playing hard to get or something?" Zoey asked, slightly annoyed. Dracul couldn't help but laugh.

At the final chorus, the drum's snares and a tom or two were also added, adding more strength to the song. Jack decided to push his voice just the little bit more. His voice was already strong enough, but he wanted to try his best and impress the four Judges. He raised his free arm up as he squeezed his eyes shut and sang again.

[Jack]  
_And now I'm just a rolling home  
Into my lover's arms  
This much I know is true..._

Sadik then gave a laugh as he swatted at his button, pressing it, lighting up his chair, and making it turn around. The audience was screaming at the top of their lungs to see that all four Judges turned around on the second audition.

[Jack]  
_That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you_

_Yes it did, oh!_

_That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you_

_Whoa, yeah…_

The song played its calmer and gentler beginning as a conclusion. The piano making the finale as well as a shimmering from the hi-hat. Jack grinned as he called out to the audience who were screaming and cheering as they applauded, "Thank you all!"

Back in the Waiting Room, Dracul was clapping along with Zoey and Leigh. "Amazing," the Romanian man grinned. He then noticed that Leigh's eyes were practically ready to spill, and so he pulled out a handkerchief adorned with the colours red, blue and yellow, and handed it to them. "He got all _four_ Judges' attention!"

"Thank you," Jack shouted, feeling even more lifted.

"Wow," Arthur breathed. "Honestly - I've never heard of that song before, but you sang it so splendidly, that I believed for a moment, that it could very well be your own there, chap."

"Wow…thank you very much!" responded Jack with a big beam.

"And...I'm not even sure if that's a country song, really," Arthur spoke up, a little confused himself; there were hints of soul and gospel to it as well. Jack's voice certainly didn't help; it showed hints of country, but again, more hints of soul shone through, too. "Is that...is that a country song?" he asked in Alfred's and Sadik's direction.

Sadik shrugged while Alfred nodded as he and Jack called back, "It's a country song!"

Francine chuckled while Alfred was nodding his head up and down. Arthur's face flushed red as he snapped at the French woman, "Sod off, you! And Alfred, take it easy!"

"I know," Alfred wriggled his eyebrows. "I know!"

"Honestly!" Arthur rolled his eyes. "He's already going bonkers. Anyway, I think I can offer you a slightly different angle - a slightly different approach to what you already do, but really, that said - you don't need much help. Your voice is just that incredible."

"Thank you very much," Jack said as he gripped the microphone with both of his hands and the audience cheered at the Brit's words. "Thank you."

"I'll be honest with you, dude," Alfred spoke up once the noise died down a bit. He shrugged, "I don't even know if country is even your thing, really. You can probably do any kind of music you want! You're that kind of a singer! Know what I'm saying, man?"

"Yeah, I do, thanks!" the Australian man grinned in the American's direction.

"You really have a lot to offer," spoke up Arthur, only to be interrupted by Alfred.

"Let me make it clear! Hey! Let me make it clear!" Alfred shouted as he waved his arm. He then pointed at Jack, "I really wanna work with you very, _very_ badly, dude!"

Jack nodded his head in consideration, "Okay, then!"

Francine shrugged, "Well obviously, _mon cher_, you got all of our chairs to turn around, so I believe that goes without saying for all of us. Your voice...triggered my instincts like _that_," she then clicked her manicured fingers as she continued, "You were mastering the distinctive notes within each particular ad lib and run and riffs, and I would be honoured to have you in my team."

"Thanks," Jack dipped his head in the French woman's direction as the crowd also cheered Francine's words. Arthur's eyes widened as well as Alfred's; causing them to exchange glances - it seemed that Francine was now changing her words to try and reel more contestants to join her team.

"Your performance was empowering in numerous ways," Sadik said with a nod as the audience's shouts and squeals calmed down to allow him to speak. "It takes a lot to bank into my own emotional state, and well, when you performed, it tapped right into that - my emotions." Arthur nodded in agreement in Sadik's direction as the Turkish man continued, "And nothing else seemed to matter at the moment; I turned around, and I was glad that that beautiful voice came out of you."

Again, the audience screamed and cheered in approval as Jack smiled again and nodded, "Thank you."

"Son, you have a great voice!" shouted Sadik.

"So, choose whoever you want," Alfred said graciously, spreading his arms out, but only to have them quickly point at himself as he speedily added, "_Me_."

Francine burst into laughter while Sadik cracked as did many members of the audience. Arthur meanwhile, was unamused at the American man and snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jack then licked his lips as the audience shouted names at him; trying in hopes to influence his choice on who to pick as his Coach. The Australian man gave a whistle as he rubbed at his head, his hands easily combing past his twin ahoge as his grin pulled into a more worried and contemplating expression.

It was a little while before he spoke again. He brought the mike to his lips as he said, "Well, I think I made a decision, mates." Everyone looked up at him eagerly as he continued, "It's a hard one, really. And honestly - I'm gonna have to pinch myself to see if I'm still dreaming or if it's true blue." The Australian man then pinched a few times on his arm, which made some people wonder how he wasn't yelping in pain from doing so yet. He then pointed, "I think I'm gonna go with Alfred."

Alfred shouted in triumph as he pumped his fist, "Yes! Hell yes!" and the audience screamed in delight as they applauded again, cheering loudly. Arthur sat back in his chair as he blew some of his messy, blonde bangs from out of his emerald eyes. Francine also looked clearly disappointed while Sadik shrugged and simply clapped with the audience.

The American man meanwhile, got up from his seat and ran over to Jack. The two did a bro-hug at first, which quickly melded into a real hug as Jack laughed while Alfred was still yelling in triumph at his good luck.

When Jack left the Performance Stage, Alfred smirked in Arthur's direction as he teased, "You know nothing about country music, dude! How embarrassing!"

He gave a loud, obnoxious laugh as Arthur then stood up from his seat and shook an angry fist in the American man's direction, "Shut up, you bloody wanker!"

As soon as he came into the Waiting Room, Jack spread his arms out as he came over and hugged both of his siblings and accepted his koala back from Leigh. The koala fondly clung onto his back, but still flashed an evil look at everyone else who dared approach.

"That was really great," Zoey praised as she patted Jack's arm.

The Australian man laughed as he softly patted the girl's head, "Thanks a lot, sis - you and Leigh...you were the only support I had during my tough times when I thought I only had my voice back then. Thanks..."

Zoey couldn't help the smile spreading out on her face.

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"Now, join us for our next Blind Audition contestant!" grinned Dracul as he started to get over trying to figure out what gender Leigh was and the evil look Jack's koala flashed him before they left.

The next contestant was revealed to be a woman - a more mature Swedish woman.

She had straight, long, pale blonde hair with a dark blue flat hat perched atop of her head. She had deep, storm blue eyes behind clear glasses, and her face was one of great calm. She was wearing a long, flowing blue coat that had lace trimming at the bottom, as well as black, heeled boots.

She was accompanied by a tall Danish man, and a petite and delicate looking Finnish woman who was holding hands with a young girl.

The Danish man was tall and practically towered over Dracul, who paled at the big, cocky grin on his face. He had short, wild blonde hair, and drooping baby blues. He was currently wearing a form-fitting black shirt that contrasted well against his pale skin, and overalls as well.

The Finnish woman had yellow blonde hair in a bob-cut, and was wearing a Santa hat on her head. She was also wearing a pale blue dress with white heeled boots and stockings. The young girl she was holding hands with was wearing what appeared to be the female version of a sailor uniform and had her dirty blonde hair tied into two pigtails.

"Meet thirty-year-old secretary Kristine Olofsdotter," said Dracul's voiceover. "Here to provide her as support today are her best friend Tina, god-daughter Penny, and boyfriend Mathias."

"My name is Kristine Olofsdotter," said the Swedish woman calmly while she was being interviewed. "I am thirty years old, and I originally came from Stockholm."

In the Preparation Room, she simply stared at her reflection in the mirror and blinked a couple of times. Her composed mask then seemed to crack a little as her hand formed into a fist. She simply fixed a strand of loose hair and turned away from the mirror.

"I made a bunch of foolish choices when I was nineteen," said Kristine coldly. "And because of it, it cost me dearly; I got disqualified from a competition involving singing back in my home country."

"Yeah, she's done pretty dumb things," Mathias, her Danish boyfriend, nodded solemnly, the big grin disappeared from his face for a moment. "But come on! We've all done stupid things! Hell; I did something stupid yesterday!"

"Which is?" questioned Dracul, raising an eyebrow.

Mathias sheepishly rubbed at his head as he chuckled, "Drinking a crap load of beer..." he then moaned. "My hangover's just disappearing now..."

The Finnish woman, Tina, gave a giggle as she shook her head in the Danish man's direction, "Oh, Mathias, you silly man!" she then nodded in Dracul's direction as she gave a soft, slightly sad smile. "Yes, those decisions were rash and quite...not well thought out, but really, ever since then, Kris changed herself and now, she's the woman she is today!"

Backstage, she is then seen taking a deep breath as she gazed upwards to the ceiling, her hands resting on her hips. "I believe that regrets are a waste of time," said Kristine before she headed off to the Performance Stage. "Because...they're just the past crippling you in the future." She then sighed, "As soon as I go onto that stage, it's a chance for me to...continue on to my dream, and perhaps leave this time, being remembered on a good note and for my talents."

She then made her way onto the stage, which was now coloured golden yellow, which provided a nice contrast with her dress. The sound of her footsteps reverberated around the stage as everyone watched her eagerly; waiting to hear what she sounded like.

"Heels," Francine said with her eyebrow arched. "This one is a woman."

"Nice one, my French buddy," Alfred grinned as he began to wonder what this woman would sound like - shy? Strong? Sad? Happy?

Was she hot, too?

A strong, heavy drumbeat picked up and after a few bars in, Kristine nodded, going into a rather poised stance as she then brought the mike close to her lips. Her voice was revealed to be strong as low bass and electric guitars were heard.

[Kristine]  
_This was never the way I planned  
Not my intention  
I got so brave, drink in hand  
Lost my discretion_

The audience cheered in approval at the Swedish woman's choice of song and began clapping in rhythm to the song. Kristine's expression maintained its seriousness as she made a graceful motion with her hand as she sang - it looked elegant and poised.

She looked elegant and poised.

And her voice was powerful, despite her calm and serious expression. It was very expressive as well, bending notes easily and reaching high points with no problem.

[Kristine]  
_It's not what I'm used to  
Just wanna try you on  
I'm curious for you  
Caught my attention_

_I kissed a girl and I liked it  
The taste of her cherry chap stick  
I kissed a girl just to try it  
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it  
It felt so wrong, it felt so right  
Don't mean I'm in love tonight  
I kissed a girl and I liked it  
I liked it_

Francine was nodding in approval herself, a smile forming onto her red lips while Alfred was nodding to the music, getting into it. He smiled in the French woman's direction, to which Francine beamed. She then looked over to her left at Arthur and Sadik.

Arthur's face was red now as he blinked. The French woman laughed at how flustered he looked, "Why be so embarrassed, _mon petite lapin_? I thought men were into women on women action?"

The British man's face exploded into an even darker shade of red as he yelled, "Shut up, you frog princess! That's disgusting!"

Sadik simply guffawed as he remarked, "Arthur's an innocent kid, Francine - can't blame him!"

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, Mathias was simply nodding his head in rhythm to his girlfriend's song as Tina held onto Penny. The Dane's face broke into a big grin while Dracul noted, "That's a pretty bold choice for a song."

Mathias laughed, "Yeah? Well, I'm perfectly alright with that."

[Kristine]  
_No, I don't even know your name  
It doesn't matter  
You're my experimental game  
Just human nature_

_It's not what good girls do  
Not how they should behave  
My head gets so confused  
Hard to obey_

_I kissed a girl and I liked it  
The taste of her cherry chap stick  
I kissed a girl just to try it  
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it  
It felt so wrong, it felt so right  
Don't mean I'm in love tonight  
I kissed a girl and I liked it  
I liked it_

Sadik was swaying his head to the song that the performer was singing while Alfred was nodding his head up and down, getting into it as he loved the artist. However, he didn't press his button. He did watch Francine to see what she was going to do.

The French woman placed a hand over her button, close to pressing down, much to the glee of the audience. However, at the last moment, she withdrew her hand and rubbed at her chin, thinking more deeply as the Swedish woman finally hit the hook.

Kristine didn't look so bothered though, and kept her serious and calm expression as well as her poise as she sang in a slightly softer and lower voice until the last line where she regained her strength.

[Kristine]  
_Us girls, we are so magical  
Soft skin, red lips, so kissable  
Hard to resist, so touchable  
Too good to deny it  
Ain't no big deal, it's innocent_

Here, Kristine then shut her eyes as she unleashed a great, higher note on the last word of the hook, holding it as the lights were flashing around her and the instruments picked up.

"Whoa!" marvelled Alfred in awe. Still, he did not press his button.

In the Waiting Room, Kristine's loved ones were now getting more on edge than the singer herself. Penny was squealing as she was covering her mouth, anxious while Tina was now bouncing on the balls of her heeled boots. Mathias was more vocal as he shouted, "Come on! Press the damn button already! She's slaying the crap out of that song!"

Dracul was careful to duck and move out of the way when the Dane flailed a fist.

[Kristine]  
_I kissed a girl and I liked it  
The taste of her cherry chap stick  
I kissed a girl just to try it  
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it  
It felt so wrong, it felt so right  
Don't mean I'm in love tonight  
I kissed a girl and I liked it_

Just when Mathias, Tina and Penny were scared for the Swedish woman, Francine finally leaned forward and pressed the button, causing her chair to turn around.

The French woman's smile grew wide as she saw the singer and she nodded in approval. Kristine simply dipped her head in respect in Francine's direction as she finished the song on a grand note.

[Kristine]  
_I liked it._

And with that, the instruments died down a second or two later and the audience screamed in delight as they applauded. Kristine bowed to the audience and to the Judges as the remaining three chairs turned around.

Once the cheering died down, Alfred grinned, feeling disappointed; it _was _a hot woman, "Well, hello there, dudette! What's your name?"

"I am Kristine," the Swedish woman replied politely. "Kristine Olofsdotter."

"Awesome choice of song," continued Alfred as he nodded. "I can relate to it, like totally."

The audience cracked up laughing as Arthur gave a snort when trying to suppress his own chuckles. The British man covered his mouth as he trembled slightly. Sadik just clapped as he laughed out loud while Francine shook her head after her own bout of laughter.

"And on top of that, you sounded great! So powerful and strong," concluded Alfred; choosing not to say much since he didn't pick her after all.

"At one point, I thought you were actually going to break the speakers," said Sadik. "Your voice is just that powerful."

Kristine dipped her head, "I apologize for that."

"But look at this," the Turkish man motioned to both Francine and the Swedish woman. "This is a great marriage; I think Francine is perfect for you."

"Thank you," responded Kristine with a nod of her head.

"_Oui_," agreed Francine. "You had me going. At first, I thought it was a little bit shaky, but _ma chére_, you really found your way as it continued, and it is obvious, _non_? I liked it."

"Thank you for taking me, Francine," Kristine said as she bowed respectfully in the French woman's direction as the audience cheered again; at the top of their lungs, loudly and in great enthusiasm.

When she went into the Waiting Room, the Swedish woman found herself getting hugged tightly from her spiky-headed, Danish boyfriend who gave a loud roar of triumph as he proclaimed, "_Lort_, you made it! I know you freaking could! Hell yeah!"

Kristine arched an eyebrow, but shrugged as she returned the embrace and sighed, "You had that much faith in my abilities?"

"Of course!" Mathias grinned widely. "Never had any doubts in you!"

Much to Dracul's surprise, the rather stoic Swedish woman, despite her face retaining its serious expression, was now painted cherry red on the cheeks. Especially when the Danish man leaned over and planted a peck onto her cheek. She simply gave a gentle push on his head after he kissed her, to which he gave a pout at first by sticking out his bottom lip, but laughed soon after as Tina and Penny went up to Kristine to hug her for her success.

"Honestly, at first I thought that the ship had sailed," admitted Kristine when she was interviewed one last time. "I had given up on pursuing a music career, and honestly...I really can't wait."

"I think people..." Dracul cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "I think people are gonna love what you represent - which is _'Never give up'_."

"Exactly!" Mathias pointed at the Romanian man, grin growing wider as he wrapped an arm around the Swedish woman's waist.

"But now you have another opportunity," said Dracul. "You could've quit a million times, or whenever you wanted to. But you didn't, and look at you now."

"Don't give up on your dreams," Kristine said firmly as she gazed into the camera. "Don't _ever_ give up."

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

The next person to come to the HetaVoice Building was a younger Asian boy, Taiwanese to be exact.

He had short, dark hair and bright, brown eyes sparkling in eagerness and excitement. There was a really long, wild curl that was dangling from his head. He was wearing a pink jacket with a white, oriental-designed sun on it, as well as skinny, denim jeans and red converse shoes.

He was accompanied by an Asian woman and a young Korean girl who was chatting up a storm, laughing with the Taiwanese boy.

The Asian woman was tall, slender, and had long, dark hair with a ponytail, as well as side-tail. She was also wearing a card in her hair, more specifically, the ace of hearts. She was wearing a dark-coloured _qipao _with a slit where her lean legs were more viewable. The Korean girl meanwhile had long, dark hair tied back into a braid and wore a large, golden-coloured _hanbok_ with large, over-sized sleeves.

"Meet nineteen-year-old part-time waiter, Jang Chen Fai," said Dracul from his voice-over. "Hoping to make it through our HetaVoice Blind Auditions! Accompanying him today are his cousin, Lin, and best friend, Im Soo Jin."

Chen Fai laughed as he beamed during his interview, "I'm so honoured to be here! Really! I've always wanted to perform; I know that there are _seriously _talented people out there auditioning, too, but when I got accepted, I was…I couldn't believe it! I didn't think that my singing would be on par with the competition after watching the live streams of the episodes!"

"Well, you're here now, be happy!" Dracul said as he patted the Taiwanese boy's shoulder. "You're skills are worthy to try out here!"

"We have been reassuring him that he would make it," Lin, Chen Fai's cousin said with a soft smile while her face was slightly pulled into a gentle, yet humoured expression. "Honestly, sometimes he goes too hard on himself."

"Yeah," agreed Soo Jin with a sigh. "He's so on edge! All the time!"

"I am not," Chen Fai protested, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes you are!" grinned Soo Jin impishly.

"Am not," the Taiwanese boy began to smile, equally impish as he nudged her playfully.

"You definitely are!" the Korean girl nudged him back in an eagerly light-hearted manner.

Dracul couldn't help but smile at the friendly banter between the two Asians as Lin watched with a motherly smile. The Romanian man glanced at her at had to admit; she was really pretty.

At once, she looked up, and her golden eyes locked into his red ones. She simply smiled at him, too. Smiled that gentle smile

Dracul simply gulped and averted his eyes, but the Romanian man felt his face grow aflame.

Backstage in the Preparation Room, Chen Fai was pacing back and forth, obviously nerve-wracked at the fact that he was going to go onstage quite soon. His hands were now shaky as he checked the mirror and fixed at his hair. He looked up at the long curl that dangled, and blew it out of his face as he ran his hand through his dark hair. He licked his lips and nodded after smoothing out his clothes.

"God, I'm nervous…" Chen Fai said anxiously. "And I mean _really _nervous. I mean, what if I screw up? All four of those Judges…really, this is a big deal to me. Am I good enough to make it? Will someone turn around for me? I certainly hope so, well…let's see what happens then…"

Chen Fai was now making his way onstage, trying to calm his nerves as his stomach was twisted and knotted all over. His breath hitched in his throat and already, he found that he was beginning to sweat, which he didn't want – he would feel and smell gross.

The stage was tinted in a dark, yet soft, pink as he stopped centre stage with the mike in his hand. He coughed to clear his throat from the saliva hitched there.

Arthur arched an eyebrow and Francine tilted her head while Alfred asked, "Whoa! Is this dude sick?"

Sadik shook his head, "Might just be nerves."

After a while of calming himself, Chen Fai, who was holding on his knees for a moment, straightened himself as the audience smiled at him, encouraging him to start. The Taiwanese smiled gratefully back, feeling much better and ready to perform. He nodded at the musicians to signal that he was ready.

A crisp and even drumbeat played while a laidback and relaxed acoustic guitar played with a soft bass in the background. Chen Fai swayed slightly to the music to immerse himself in it before he started singing.

[Chen Fai]  
_Baby hair, woman's eyes  
__I can see you watching in the night  
__All alone with me, out waiting for the sunlight  
__I…I feel cold, you warm me.  
__And when I feel I can't go on, you come and hold me_

A smooth and sweet voice resounded from within the Performance Stage as the audience cheered, making Chen Fai calm down more as he began walking relaxedly around the stage, with both hands now on the mike.

Sadik leaned forward on his chair as he settled his hand a few millimetres above from its red surface. Likewise, Francine also leaned forward on her own chair with her perfectly manicured nails caressing her own button.

Both the Turkish man and French woman exchanged a glance, overlooking Arthur, and giving a knowing smile at each other. There was no doubt; they both knew that the other was going to press their button.

But the question as, who would turn around first?

[Chen Fai]  
_It's you and me forever  
__  
Oh, Sara smile  
__Won't you smile a while for me, Sara?  
__Mmmmm…_

_If you feel like leaving, well you know that you can go  
__Why don't you stay until tomorrow?  
__Mmm…_

_If you wanna be free, oh…  
__All you have to do is say so_

_Oh, girl…_

A button was heard being pressed and the crowd screamed and whooped in delight as Francine's chair was the first to light up and turn around. The French woman smiled at the Taiwanese boy performing.

Sadik then arched an eyebrow as he grinned and, rubbed his stubbled chin, considering whether or not he should turn his chair around or not.

Chen Fai almost stopped singing, but quickly regained himself and continued, though he was close to jumping for joy. Instead, the Taiwanese boy pumped his fist in triumphant, looking overjoyed.

Back in the Waiting Room, Soo Jin was bouncing up and down for joy as she gave a sharp squeal. She clapped her hands and hugged onto Lin, then next, clamped onto Dracul, who was almost knocked over from being unexpectedly hugged.

The Romanian gave a nervous chuckle as he adjusted his top hat back onto its perch before it fell off. He turned red though when Lin gave a soft giggle in his direction. "Well…he got Francine to turn around!" Dracul said. "That's good news!"

[Chen Fai]  
_When you feel cold, I'll warm you  
__When you feel you can't go on, I'll come and hold you  
__It's you and me forever._

_Sara smile  
__Won't you smile a while for me, Sara?  
__Oh Sara, smile._

Because one of the Judges turned around (and the lone female one at that), Chen Fai was pumped to give even more of himself during his performance. He began bending some of the notes, adding runs, which flowed quite smoothly with the song, and he was using his falsetto more often. The falsetto was soft and actually really pleasant to the ear.

Francine put her hands on her heart as she sighed; she _did _love a good falsetto.

Sadik arched his eyebrow and looked at Francine carefully as did Arthur and Alfred. However, the American man and the Brit decided to just observer first.

The French woman shook her head at Sadik's direction, as she pointed at herself, "_Non_. He is mine."

This however prompted the Turkish man to slam his hand down on his own button and cause it to turn around.

Francine gasped, visibly looking appalled. Sadik simply gave an over-exaggerated evil laugh as he finally came face-to-face with the performer, who was revealed to be a fresh-faced Asian boy.

Chen Fai smiled as he pointed at the Turkish man. Sadik simply nodded his head and grinned.

Arthur scratched his messy head as he stared down at his button, contemplating whether he should just turn to face the performer and have to convince them that they should join his team. Did he really need this voice in his team?

[Chen Fai]  
_Won't you smile a while for me, now, Sara?  
__Smile a while for me.  
__You know I love it when you…  
__Smile._

Now quite impressed with the voice, and wanting in on the action, Alfred quickly pressed his own button, and it turned his chair around as the audience screamed even louder as they did before.

The American man grinned as he nodded his head in approval, "Nice!"

Back in the Waiting Room, Soo Jin was squealing and jumping around even more than before. She pointed as she cried and furiously shook Dracul's shoulder, "Oh my God! Another!"

Poor Dracul was starting to look really tired. He looked at Lin and forced a smile on his face, though the Asian woman simply chuckled lightly again at the amusing sight before her.

[Chen Fai]  
_Come on, won't you smile a while for me, oh Sara?  
__Oh my Sara…  
__  
Would you just smile?  
__Would you smile a while for me now, Sara?  
__Smile a while for me…_

_Ooohhh…_

Chen Fai had applied a beautiful falsetto as well as a lovely run on the last word of the third line. To finish off his performance, on the last word, he gave a soft, but low run as the instruments softly finished on a more jazz-like number.

The audience screamed and cheered as they applauded the Taiwanese boy, who exhaled deeply again and gave a huge grin as he saw that he was able to get three out of the four Judges to turn around.

Arthur clapped along with his fellow Judges and the crowd as his chair turned around to face the performer. He gave a small, slightly sheepish smile in the Taiwanese boy's direction and nodded in approval.

The cheering didn't seem to want to die down, though; more screams and whistles were heard as Chen Fai punched the air in triumph, particularly from the girls.

This prompted Alfred to raise his arms and holler, "Ladies, make some noise!" Francine complied with a majority of the audience who screamed as well. "Okay now, calm down ladies, calm down ladies!" the American called as he flapped his hands up and down to signal them to be quiet, only for them to scream more loudly. Alfred then laughed and shouted, "You know what? Screw that! Make some noise! Show him some love!"

Chen Fai laughed as he felt his face flush. He wiped at his forehead and inwardly winced at feeling the amount of sweat there.

"Alright," Francine called in a more authoritative voice, signalling for everyone to calm down.

"Great job, man!" continued Alfred. "Great job!"

"Thank you, man," smiled Chen Fai.

"Now, what's your name, boy?" Sadik questioned after cracking up at Alfred encouraging the ladies to make some noise and Francine complying. "And where you from?"

"My name is Jang Chen Fai," responded the Taiwanese boy. "I originally came from Taipei, which is in Taiwan, but I moved out here upon gaining a musical scholarship."

"That's so cool!" beamed Alfred. "So, how's it going for you out here? The hood being nice to you?"

Chen Fai chuckled as he nodded, "Yeah, it's really great out here. Really great. I don't have a car, though, which would be nice."

Sadik was guffawing as Francine raised her hand, "_Mon cher_, I have a _lot_ of cars!"

Chen Fai laughed while Alfred spoke, "I'm sure you can get a ride, though, from one out of like, four thousand of these dudettes screaming for you!"

The Taiwanese boy felt his face go aflame again as he gave another chortle. The American man then chose to elaborate more on Chen Fai's singing, "But seriously, man…dude, you have such soul in your voice, what genre of music inspires you the most?"

"Well…to be honest, jazz was a big influence for me," responded Chen Fai. "I grew up listening to it as well as traditional stuff. Pop and R&B is also starting to grow on me, and I'm getting quite interested in soul, too."

"Whoa, dude! That's awesome!" marvelled Alfred. "You have like, a lot of soul and conviction in your voice, and your runs were just off the hook! I got a lot of soul in me, so I think we'd be perfect together!"

"Thank you," Chen Fai said with a smile as some members of the audience raised their vocal approval at the American man's words. "I'll consider it."

"Well," Sadik said as his turn came. "Soul is my forte, Alfred. And I, too actually get inspired by jazz and R particularly Louis Armstrong, Chaka Khan, Beyoncé, Arethra Franklin…I feel that you and I speak the same sort of language where that's concerned."

Here, Chen Fai's eyes were twinkling as he listened to the Turkish man's list of inspirational artists. He nodded, both hands gripping on the microphone.

Sadik continued, "To me, with your voice, the sky's the limit. And I want to be the one who will help guide you along and all the way."

"Thank you," responded Chen Fai. "Thank you, I'll definitely consider your words."

"Well, I guess since nobody else is going to say it," Francine shrugged and said it outright. "_Mon cher_, you are very handsome.

This warranted a loud squeal and cheer from the females in the audience, which were the majority. Arthur rolled his eyes, "How did I know you were going to say that, bloody frog princess?"

"That wasn't very nice, _mon petite lapin_," Francine said, arching an eyebrow.

"For the _last _sodding time, I am _not _your bloody rabbit!" snapped Arthur, who was rubbing both of his temples.

"Well, at least I am secure enough to tell him that," responded Francine as she tilted her head in Arthur's direction. "Do not forget; that I was the first one to turn my chair around for you, too," she waggled her finger and pointed at her button.

Chen Fai nodded and pointed at her, "That's true."

"She was totally turned on," grinned Alfred cheekily.

Sadik laughed while Arthur turned bright red and the audience chuckled at the American man's wisecrack. However, they died when Francine arched an eyebrow and turned to Alfred briefly, "Who's to say I wasn't?"

Alfred's jaw dropped at the French woman's statement as she continued, "I was very drawn in upon hearing your voice and when I turned and saw you, I was reminded of someone…honestly, I wasn't sure who at first. At first, I was thinking maybe Wang Yao," here, Arthur shrugged at hearing the name of one of his band-mates who was also one of the songwriters of the group. "But then, it hit me!" Francine snapped her fingers for emphasis. "I remembered who you reminded me of – Kiku Honda."

Chen Fai couldn't help but smile here – Kiku Honda was one of his most favourite singers of all time; it was a real compliment. "Oh, seriously? Wow…thank you!" he beamed.

"Oh yeah, I can see it now, too," Alfred said after tilting his head.

"Can we please remember that we're not talking about Yao or Kiku here?" Sadik spoke up, finding a chance. "We are talking about Chen Fai, and about _him _as an artist."

"Pick me, _monsieur_," the French woman piped up quickly, seeing that the Turkish man was using a great bout of his psychology on the Taiwanese boy. "There's no doubt about it, you have to join my team."

"Whoa, whoa! He doesn't have to!" called Alfred. "So not cool, Frenchie! Because he's joining _my _team!"

Arthur sighed as he rolled his eyes, "Honestly, it sounds like all _three _of these bloody gits want to date you, dove."

Everyone laughed at the British man's remark while Francine sighed, "Oh, _mon petite lapin_, you are so silly…"

"One sec, wait!" Chen Fai called before the audience could start making noise in hopes of somehow influencing his decision. The Taiwanese boy then faced the four Judges, "First of all, I'd like to say thank you. Alfred…" he turned to the American man. "Your music is really cool, and it really is off the hook."

"Thanks, dude!" smiled Alfred.

"Francine…" began Chen Fai.

"Don't break my heart, _mon cher_," the French woman said.

Chen Fai gave a chuckle as he said, "You're just so unreal. And Sadik, your voice is just so unbelievable." The Taiwanese boy then took a deep breath as he licked his lips, thinking about who to choose. "And…" he said softly. "But…"

The audience died their noise down a bit, seeing that Chen Fai had already made up his mind. The Taiwanese boy then motioned his hand forward, "I gotta go with Sadik."

The Turkish man raised his arms in triumph while Francine slumped slightly and gave a sigh. Alfred leaned back in his chair and pouted a bit, defeated. Sadik stood up and made his way over to the stage as Chen Fai, likewise came closer to the Turkish man as the audience was screaming and whooping in delight.

After the pair exchanged a handshake and a bro-hug, Sadik smiled, "You're truly talented; your own voice."

"Thank you," Chen Fai said, feeling quite flustered.

"I can't wait to work with you and see what you can do."

"Same."

Like with his other contestants, Sadik raised up Chen Fai's arm, prompting more screams and applause to erupt from the audience. The other three Judges also joined in.

Once he got into the Waiting Room, Chen Fai gave a loud shout of triumph as Soo Jin squealed loudly and began bouncing around, her fists shot up in the air at the success of her best friend. The pair hugged as Lin came over, smiling gently at him, "See? I knew you could do it."

Chen Fai laughed sheepishly as he hugged her, "Yeah…you're never wrong…"

Dracul felt fluffy from inside as he watched the Asians. He waved goodbye to them as he smiled, "Ain't that sweet?" Before they left however, he noticed Lin look back at him one last time.

The Asian lady simply smiled and gave a light giggle when the Romanian man's face went on fire.

"You saw nothing!" Dracul snapped at the camera as he placed his hand over its lens.

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!]**

After the break, the Romanian man was clearing his throat and tugged at his tie, looking to have recovered properly. He gave an exhale and beamed as the camera now focused on him, "We have some great talent today, right? Right. Anyway, join us for our next contestant coming in!"

He then makes a motion to the next contestant who was walking on the red carpet to the HetaVoice Building.

This time, it was a Thai man who had dark, wavy hair that Dracul felt looked uncannily like a certain Swedish woman's Danish boyfriend's hairdo. However, he looked much calmer and much gentler than the Dane. He was wearing glasses that somewhat magnified his golden eyes, and was wearing a closed, white jacket with matching slacks as well as a shoulder sash.

He was accompanied by quite a number of people. Nearly all of them though was a group of children, and a Vietnamese man.

The Vietnamese man stood at an unusually tall height. He had a cold, serious expression on his face with a slight scowl present while his honey-gold eyes were burning with a flame on low heat. He had short, dark hair and was wearing a very pale blue button shirt, dark trousers, sandals, and a conical, straw hat that was hanging by its thread on his back.

Funny enough, he was also carrying a paddle, and the children didn't seem bothered by his frosty expression.

"Hello there," greeted the Thai man with a smile. "My name is Kasem Chao, I am twenty-five years old, and I teach music in school."

While he was being interviewed, the Vietnamese man, whose name was Quan, recalled the day when his best friend had received his letter of acceptance to the HetaVoice Building.

_[FLASHBACK]_

_Dracul put a finger to his lips while facing the cameraman as he approached what appeared to be a cross of a middle school and a primary school. It was decorated with some paper lanterns as well as flowery decorations that brought more colour to the dull building. There was also a huge statue of an elephant with its head held high and its trunk raised up at the front in all its marble glory._

_The Romanian man could hear some singing that were coming from sweet, young voices dancing in the air as he entered the school's grounds. As he approached a painted red door of a small classroom in particular, he could hear a man's voice call, "That was very good, ana~! Now, from the top, one last time!" and at once, the lovely, chirping voices of children wavered in the air._

_After listening a little bit to it, Dracul opened the door to the building as he called out loudly, "Kasem Chao! I'm looking for a Kasem Chao!"_

_Quan, who was leaning on the wall nearby, turned his head around, eyes widening slightly as he then called urgently in a language that was not English right at the man who had his back turned to the doors. The children who were standing at the front were all gasping and squealing in delight and excitement; recognizing the visitor who just came in._

_Kasem himself turned around to see what had interrupted his class and his jaw dropped upon seeing Dracul. He covered his mouth with one hand as his face was pulled into an expression of glee._

"_Hello there, Kasem Chao!" greeted Dracul as he stepped forward and offered the red letter of acceptance. "Be proud; you have been accepted to our HetaVoice Blind Auditions! Here is your invitation." _

"_T-thank you!" the Thai man was able to stammer, still stunned. "This came out of nowhere, ana! Thank you so much!" _

_And with trembling fingers, he opened the letter and showed its inside, where, in capitalized black letters, read, "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE INVITED TO THE HETAVOICE BLIND AUDITIONS!"_

_Quan had come closer for a better look and patted his best friend's shoulder while the children that provided as the choir that Kasem was teaching, were cheering and jumping around in delight at seeing their teacher get chosen. A lot of them were also hugging at the Thai man's waist._

"_Congratulations," the Vietnamese man said quietly to the Thai man. _

_When Kasem turned to thank his best friend, he was shocked; he could've sworn he saw a small smile form on the usually stoic Vietnamese man's face before he turned away._

_[END FLASHBACK]_

"Music is…simply put, my life, ana," said Kasem with a twinkle in his eyes. "I love teaching music, and I believe that it's a necessary part of life. I've been teaching music for three years, and to be honest, I couldn't be any happier, ana~"

"Even back then when we were both in high school, music was already a big part of his life," said Quan, Kasem's best friend, in a sincere yet toneless voice. "Music establishes him as a person, and I can't imagine him without it. He'll most likely stay married with music for the rest of his life."

At the Vietnamese man's last sentence, Kasem blushed slightly and gave a chuckle while the children were either laughing or giggling at his words.

"Indeed," nodded Kasem. "I actually paid more attention to music than with girls."

"You weren't the only one, though," said Quan, nonchalantly. "I wasn't the least bit interested in girls, either…"

Soon, it was time for Kasem to leave in preparation for going on the Performance Stage. The Thai man was calmly tapping his foot in rhythm as he looked upward to the ceiling, expression thoughtful. He was also seen seemingly praying silently to himself as his hands were clasped together at his front.

"If I were to be picked by any of the Judges," said Kasem in a more determined voice, despite the calm, still laidback expression on his face. "It would mean the world to me – I am here to show myself and to tell a story. But even then, if I do not get picked at all, well…" he shrugged with a small smile, "It's okay – though I _will _be disappointed, I'm perfectly happy with my life right now."

And with that, Kasem began making his way onto the centre of the Performance Stage where the mike was actually placed in the stand. He calmly took the mike from its stand as the stage was now painted with a beautiful shade of violet.

Arthur leaned back in his seat as he blew some messy bangs out of his eyes. Sadik simply rested his chin in his arm, which was resting on the chair's arm rest while Francine had a leg crossed over her knee. Alfred was leaning forward, staring at his shiny, red button as he closed his eyes to listen.

Kasem gave a nod at the musicians to start, and with that, a single piano chord played, ringing throughout the stage. But immediately following was Kasem's own voice; which was revealed to be more of an alto with a warm, soulful and soft, yet strong tone to it.

[Kasem]

_I've been so many places in my life and time…_

Immediately once the first line ended, Alfred's blue eyes shot open in interest as he leaned forward and immediately slammed his hand down onto the button. This warranted loud shrieks and cheers of delight from the audience.

The three older Judges were shocked to say the least at seeing the American man turning around already. They watched him closely to see if he could give away anything on the performer.

Alfred blinked as he stared at the Thai man in awe. A beam slowly appeared across the American man's face as he then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, immersing himself with the music and the performer.

Kasem himself simply smiled in Alfred's direction as he continued in his soulful voice. His free hand was held at his front as he walked composedly and softly around the stage. Just his voice and the steady, soft chords of the piano that played in such a way, that it provided not only as background music, but a beat.

Meanwhile, in the Waiting Room, the children from Kasem's choir were cheering, screaming and jumping around in delight. Some of them were holding each other they jumped, while others were tugging on the sleeve of Dracul or Quan's jacket or shirt, respectively as they pointed at the television screen that showed the Thai man's performance.

"I know!" laughed Dracul. "Amazing, isn't it?" he turned to face Quan, but was shocked at seeing that the Vietnamese man had an expression on his face.

His scowl was replaced by a rather stunned look.

[Kasem]  
_I've sung a lot of songs; I've made some bad rhymes  
__I've acted out my life on stages  
__Ten thousand people watching  
__But we're alone now, and I'm singing this song to you_

At the last line, where there was only a second of pause, Francine then chose to push her own button to see what Alfred was enraptured by. The audience cheered and hooted at seeing the French woman's chair light up and turn around as well.

The French woman felt a soft smile form on her own face as she watched and listened to Kasem before.

Soon, a soft cello began to form as the piano continued in its steady beat. However, as the verse continued, it gradually picked up in volume until it was only _just _under the piano's voice.

[Kasem]  
_I know your image of me is what I hope to be  
__I treated you unkindly, but darling, can't you see?  
__There's no one more important to me  
__Baby, can't you see through me?  
_

_Cause we're alone now, and I'm singing this song to you_

"Hey…" Dracul asked uneasily in Quan's direction, becoming a bit worried. "You okay there, buddy?"

He was met with no response.

The Vietnamese man only focused on the Thai man on screen as his expression calmed down. However, he was inwardly shaken.

Soon enough, everything was becoming a blur as the colours and scenery morphed around him. Despite the visage changing, Kasem's voice remained the same; still strong, sincere and soulful.

Before he knew it, Quan found himself back in the music room of his high school – both were still wearing their school uniforms and looked younger. He was on the piano while Kasem was standing by his side.

The Vietnamese man had cracked all of his knuckles before playing, and when he did so, he was producing the same notes as the piano playing during Kasem's performance. Quan could also hear his own voice joining in the song along with the Thai man, albeit in a smoother tone and instead, harmonized along…

[Kasem]  
_You taught me precious secrets of a true love withholding nothing  
__You came out in front when I was hiding  
__But now I'm so much better, and if my words don't come together  
__Listen to the melody, 'cause my love is in there hiding_

Arthur had pressed his button after Kasem sang the second line of the stanza, and stared right at the singer presented before him.

Then at the very last word of the stanza, Sadik pressed his own button. His chair lit up as did the members in the crowd and they screamed and shouted as they applauded that all four Judges had turned around.

Kasem simply dipped his head in respect and kept it there as while the flute, which had begun joining in from the third stanza, blared more soft and tender notes. The Thai man switched hands as he made more flowing, yet strong gestures towards the people in front of him as he sang. He added a nice, short runs a few times on some of the words in the verse.

Alfred lightly nodded his head in time with the steady beat while Francine leaned forward in her chair and rested her head in her palm. Sadik leaned back in his own chair while Arthur simply had a small smile forming on his face.

[Kasem]  
_I love you in a place where there's no space or time  
__I love you for in my life, you're such a friend of mine  
__And when my life is over, remember when we were together  
__We were alone and I was singing this song to you_

_Yeah…_

Kasem had applied a much stronger run on a higher level on _'over', _even having to raise his head and squeeze his eyes shut to let out the note without forcing it to hard, and he succeeded.

Back in the Waiting Room, the children were still watching their teacher eagerly, ecstatic that he had been picked by not one, but _all four _of the Judges. However, Dracul found himself not paying attention to the Thai man who was performing.

No, instead he looked at the Vietnamese man in interest. "You okay there?" the Romanian man asked, still a little worried.

Quan shut his eyes for a moment and licked his lips. He nodded, though his voice was now hoarse and choked at the end, "Yes. I am fine…"

"That touched by your buddy's performance, is that it?" Dracul asked with an understanding smile.

The Vietnamese man opened his eyes and raised his right shoulder slightly as he continued watching, "That, and…" he trailed off and shook his head after a little moment of thought. "No, it's nothing…"

[Kasem]  
_We were alone, and I was singing, yeah…  
__This song to you!_

_Yeah!_

Kasem then made a stronger note at the last word, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut again as he raised the mike high since he had lifted his own head.

Alfred was banging his head and raising his hands up into a V with his index and middle fingers. Francine had moved her hand and shook her head like how she would do if she was performing onstage.

[Kasem]

_Oh, singing this song to you!_

And with that, the piano, cello and flute stopped in unison as did Kasem's voice. Once the Thai man finished with his performance, he was met with great cheers and applause from the audience and the four Judges.

Alfred and Francine even stood up from their seats to applaud him.

Kasem gave a small laugh as his face turned slightly red from under the lights and because of how positive the reception of his performance was. He breathed, "Amazing, ana…"

"What's your name, stud?" called Sadik so he could be heard over the noise. This prompted the audience to quiet down and let the Judges speak.

"My name is Kasem Chao," responded the Thai man evenly, somehow able to suppress the euphoric adrenaline he felt that made him want to jump around and do cartwheels.

"Well, congratulations," continued the Turkish man. He then gestured around him, "Look at the impact you already made upon entering this show."

"Thank you," said Kasem sincerely as the crowd cheered in approval at Arthur's words.

"At some point," said Sadik. "I noticed that I was the only dumbass in this room who was missing out on the show. It was truly superb, really it was."

"Thank you," Kasem bowed his head. "I appreciate that very much. Thank you."

"The competition is so _on_!" shouted Alfred as he was patting at the podium where his button was. He laughed, "Dude! I'm totes excited! I heard you come out strong, but you like, followed through above and beyond what I expected! Which was why I turned around as soon as you finished like, one verse of the song!"

"Wow…" breathed the Thai man as he smiled. "Thank you."

"I would totally love you to be part of my team," continued Alfred. "And I'll work hard for you!"

"Really?" asked Kasem.

"Totally!" grinned Alfred, his blue eyes sparkling and his face now pulled into a determined expression. "I'm willing to fight and work my ass off for you!"

"Oh, please…" Arthur rolled his eyes in the American man's direction.

"I ain't smoking, dude!" protested Alfred. "I'll fight for you to the very end! Totes I would!"

Sadik coughed, "Bull crap…"

The audience cracked up as the Turkish man simply grinned mischievously in the American man's direction while the said American man was pouting with an annoyed expression on his face. Kasem meanwhile had only paid attention to what Alfred was saying and simply smiled on, "Thank you, Alfred. Thank you."

"You sounded really strong there, dove," said Arthur, deciding to take his turn. "Really, you even touched my very core, deep down!"

Francine, Alfred and Sadik snorted in laughter at the British man's words, as did several members of the audience who quickly caught on. Arthur at first didn't understand what everyone was laughing at, even Kasem chuckled a little, but when he realized, the Brit yelled with his face aflame, "No! I did not mean it that way, you bloody wankers!"

"_Sure_, you did not, _mon petite lapin_," teased Francine. She then turned her attention to Kasem and spoke, "Honestly, your voice blew me away. I had goose-bumps all over my arms…" she raised her arms to which Alfred stood up and peered closely. "It was just unbelievable and…well, the whole place was on fire. As it says on the bottom of my chair, _'I want you'_. I would be thrilled if you would join my team, _mon cher_."

"Well, unlike her I'm actually gonna look you in the eye and work for you!" Alfred shouted, warranting a chuckle to emit from the audience.

Francine arched an eyebrow in Alfred's direction, "_Excusez-moi_? But where do you think I even look at when I talk to him, _monsieur _Alfred?"

"Do we seriously have to _answer_ that question, frog princess?" Arthur asked, voice dripping in sarcasm.

Sadik snorted in response as he gave a cough and covered his mouth, but he cracked up soon after. "Well, ultimately, it's up to you," finished the Turkish man.

The audience now screamed and called towards the Thai man in hopes as always of influencing his decision, but Kasem looked totally unaffected by it. The Thai man then spoke up, "First of all, I would like to say, that I am so…_humbled_. You know? Just at the fact that all four of you turned around for me, I am just _honoured_. First and foremost." He then took a deep breath as he looked at the four Judges before him, and only at them.

Back in the Waiting Room, the kids were now on bated breath while Quan simply stared at Kasem with a knowing expression. The Vietnamese man could honestly feel the tenseness that the Thai man must've been going through at that moment on the Performance Stage, and it made his skin crawl.

"This is…a tough decision!" called Kasem, as if trying to reassure himself. "I don't honestly know who I should go for…it's just like…" he gave an exhale, his usually calm, smiling and composed self now somewhat shaken. "But, the one who came to my mind the most is…"

Everyone was now practically leaning closer, wondering which Judge the Thai man would pick to be his music Coach.

"…is Alfred, ana," finished the Thai man.

The American man's head immediately shot up at hearing his name being called and he yelled in triumph as he raised his arms up in the air. He then got up from his chair as he made his way towards the Thai man, who beamed again.

"You said you would fight for me," said Kasem.

"Hell yeah, dude!" Alfred pointed with both hands right at him.

"Well, I'm ready to fight, ana," concluded Kasem, his eyes sparking with a determined flame.

"Fuck yeah!" cheered Alfred as he danced on the spot, banging his fist in the air as the audience screamed in delight at Kasem's words. "Come here, fighter!"

The pair exchanged a handshake at first, but then Alfred gave a bro-hug to Kasem who simply laughed and returned it.

In the Waiting Room, the kids were screaming and frolicking around in delight again at their teacher's choice while Quan's tense shoulders relaxed. He turned his head when his best friend entered and slowly made his way to him.

Kasem was patting and smiling down at the children who all ran up to him and hug him. He smiled and stood straight again so he could face his best friend properly.

"You…" Quan trailed off.

"Take your time, ana," said Kasem kindly.

"You…sang that song," the Vietnamese man said quietly, unable to find the proper words.

The Thai man gave a single nod in response, "Yes, I did."

"But…why?"

Kasem simply gave a light chuckle, "Because I know how much that song means to you, ana. And because of that, it means a lot to me, too, ana."

Dracul could only smile, feeling all fluffy and warm inside at seeing the two Asian men embrace each other fondly; very much like two brothers.

As they left the HetaVoice Building, the children were singing along with Kasem while Quan simply smiled, which shocked Dracul – he didn't think that the Vietnamese man was actually capable of showing such an expression.

Everyone was holding hands together as they walked away.

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"The bunch today is _really _talented, aren't they?" Dracul asked as he grinned fangs at the camera. "Seriously, am I right, or am I right?" he chuckled as he then sighed, "Of course, we've had quite a number of letdowns…"

It then shows various scenes that showed some other contestants who were invited for the HetaVoice Blind Auditions, but they weren't picked as nobody pressed their big, red button to turn their chair around.

The reactions of each of the contestants who weren't picked ranged from absolute shock to close to tears, to actually crying on the stage.

"Oh, come on now, love, don't cry," Arthur said, trying to comfort a girl who appeared to be in her late-teens, who was in tears since none of the Judges picked her. "It's not the end of the world…"

In another shot, a man is actually protesting, asking for another chance while the Judges try to reason with him.

"I can do this!" shouted the man. "Singing _is _my life! Give me one more chance!"

"Look, you have talent and a good voice, I'll give you that," Sadik said sternly, not becoming irritated at the man's persistence. "But you need to utilize your techniques properly or else either the sound will wane, or the meaning of the song will be lost."

The shot shifts next to another lady, this one in her low-mid thirties and she looks absolutely devastated.

Alfred then apologize, "We're real, sorry, dudette…but…" he then shrugged, not sure of what to say here.

Meanwhile, in another shift between shots, it showed a young man. He looks sad, but then he questioned, "What can I do to improve?"

"You know, I love that about you, _me petite_," purred Francine as she smiled warmly at the young man. "It shows that you're willing to take criticism to stride and to develop better for next time." She then hummed, "A shame; you are very cute…"

"Okay now!" the camera then focuses back onto Dracul who rubs his hands and shrugged, "Why don't we go and have a rundown on who's been able to pick somebody today?" he the cleared his throat as his voice-over spoke during various scenes that showed the contestants that _were _picked; first onto Sadik's choices, "For Team Sadik, we have Daniel Hunyadi…" the Romanian man spat slightly upon saying the Hungarian's name, but continued with a smile on his face, "And Jang Chen Fai." It then showed the contestants chosen by Alfred, "And finally, on Team Alfred, Jack Cullingham and Kasem Chao." It then shows a single shot of the contestant that Francine chose, "And finally, Kristine Olofsdotter."

The camera then shifts onto Arthur who is now staring down at his button. Dracul's voice-over continued, "However, despite turning around twice, Mr Arthur Kirkland has yet to acquire a voice for his team in this episode!"

Francine arched an eyebrow in Arthur's direction, "Slow day it seems, _mon petite lapin_?"

Arthur snorted, not even looking at her, "Shut up, frog princess."

The French woman rolled her eyes at the British man's snappy remark and simply said, "Do not worry; I am sure the right one for you will come along."

Arthur arched one of his bushy eyebrows as he watched Francine drink some water. The British woman simply looked back down at his button again as he thought to himself deeply.

"Doing alright, Artie?" Alfred asked, coming back with a hamburger. "Whatcha mulling around here for?"

"I _was _doing fine, until _you _decided to show your face," Arthur answered back.

"So not cool!"

"Hey, leave him alone, Alfie," Sadik called, back with a cup of coffee that had far too much sugar poured into it. "Seriously, he'll pick when he hears what he wants, and when the right one comes along."

Dracul simply laughed, "Good luck, Artie! You'll need it since two out of five rejected you, already…"

"I heard that! Shut up, you!" snapped Arthur as he pointed and glared daggers at Dracul. The Romanian man simply gave a little, _'eep!'_ as he quickly motioned for the camera to run for it. "Get your bloody arses _back_ here!"

…

…

…

The camera was then switched back on, revealing that he was now outside, but it appeared that Dracul was holding it. "Don't worry!" huffed the Romanian man, his little top hat slightly askew. "I'm still alive! But Himant, on the other hand…"

The camera then shifted onto a Cypriot man who was lying face-down on the ground. The man had shaggy hair, which was notably longer on his right side and was wearing a white shirt as well as brown trousers and sandals. From a glint on his left ear, there seemed to be a piercing there, too. There was a red and blue cap that looked crumpled next to him.

The Romanian man asked in concern, "Hey, Himant! You alright there?"

After a groan, the Cypriot man carefully got up, put his cap back on, and wobbled over to Dracul, hands stretching out for the camera.

When he took the camera though, the camera dizzily settled onto the Romanian man for a moment. However, it then flew up skyward as Dracul remarked, "Whoa! I think we need a break…"

**[THIS IS HETAVOICE!]**

"Feeling better, Himant?" Dracul asked. Seeing the camera nod up and down, the Romanian man beamed as he adjusted his hat, "Well, on we go to our next _two _contestants! That's right! Not one, but _two_!" he made his fingers go into a _'V' _shape as he then motioned to the red carpet, prompting the camera to look quickly.

Sure enough, it showed two young men walking towards the HetaVoice Building, both talking in their native language it seemed.

The older one was a Norwegian man who had short, light blonde hair and dull blue eyes. He was wearing a belted, navy-blue sailor top with a lighter blue collar, tie and cuffs, as well as matching pants and a sailor hat. He was also wearing a Nordic Cross barrette in his hair. Much to Dracul's amazement, he also had a detached hair-curl that was floating independently beside his head as he continued walking.

The younger one however, was an Icelander. He had silver-white hair that appeared rather tousled, and violet eyes. He was wearing a deep brown jacket, a white dress shirt with a ribbon tie underneath, brown, straight-legged pants that matched the colour of his jacket, and white, half-laced boots. He was also wearing a pair of white gloves and had a shiny, new, black leather guitar case strapped over his shoulder.

Interestingly enough, there was what appeared to be a puffin with a black belly, and wearing a pink bow-tie that was perched on the Icelandic boy's shoulder.

"Here, coming to our HetaVoice Building and hoping to get the Judges turn around for their Blind Auditions, are brothers Lukas and Emil Thomassen!" announced the Romanian man as he came over to interview the both of them. "So the both of you are brothers, _and _you perform? That's pretty cool! Ever performed together?"

"No," Emil shook his head as he shuffled nervously at seeing the camera aimed at him.

"We don't," agreed Lukas, feeling amused at his little brother's bout of embarrassment of being filmed. "Simply because we have different tastes in music." He then wrapped an arm around Emil's shoulders, "He is more into recent music – mainstream types. Especially if they involve a guitar."

"Oooh, really? What kind of guitar?" questioned Dracul in interest.

"Well…" Emil licked his lips, now tensing as the camera focused on him again. Lukas simply patted his shoulder as the silver-haired boy continued, "More like when a guitar plucks or gets picked."

"He plays guitar," Lukas said with a fond, small smile on his face.

"Only a little…" murmured Emil, beginning to blush. "And I'm not even that good!"

"You're better than most of the kids that go to your school," said Lukas encouragingly. "And you're playing yours during your audition, too."

"Not cool, Lukas, stop it!" murmured Emil, feeling especially embarrassed that the camera was still focused on him.

"Only if you call me big brother," replied Lukas seriously, though there was a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Emil's face resembled the same colour as a fire-truck as he said in a harsh whisper, "No way!"

Dracul couldn't help but chuckle at the playful banter between the two siblings as he continued with their interview, "So, who goes first, then?"

"That would be me," Lukas responded, face growing more serious (if that was even possible) and the sparkle in his blue eyes suddenly morphed into a flame of determination. "Music to me is serious business; it is something that gives me joy, and it was my life-oriented goal ever since I was a child."

"What exactly inspired your love for music?" questioned Dracul, still thoroughly interested.

Lukas responded fondly after a little pause for thought, "When I was seven…I got lost on my way to school. I outran a group of older boys who, simply put, wanted to hurt me. So, I ran away, and became lost. I was wandering around until I heard a violin. I followed it, and it led me to a building where I saw a man listening to an opera soundtrack and played violin as accompaniment. He noticed me and beckoned me over. Because I am shy around strangers, I was hesitant, but the music invited me in. And soon, I felt myself escape into another world once the violin played again with the opera. It became a habit, and I visited that man many times; he was a Norwegian who was born in Belarus, apparently. Played violin for most of his life. When he encouraged me to sing, he told me I should not hide my own source of music because it was very nice to listen to, and well…" the Norwegian man's pale face was lightly tinted pink. "I was very flattered. Ever since, I wanted to learn instruments and I wanted to sing even more, too."

Dracul nodded with a smile, "That sounds pretty cool."

"To be honest, I am not sure exactly _what _made me feel so inspired," admitted Lukas. "Because of him? Because of the music? Because of the worlds that I was brought into from hearing it? Or is it because of how much joy I felt? But, ever since then, music has become a part of me, and I never looked back. My parents couldn't afford a violin until I was in high school, but I was perfectly content in playing the old piano."

"Yeah, you're going to play it, too," noted Emil. "During your Blind Audition."

Lukas nodded, "Indeed I am. I have performed a fair amount of times, but this one has me on edge, the most. You have performed a fair amount of times, too."

"But they're all in school!" protested Emil, reddening again. "They're just dumb school assessments! Honestly, if anyone's gonna make it through, it's gonna be you…"

The Norwegian man looked amused, "We'll see about that."

Soon, Lukas had to go backstage in the Preparation Room. He was staring at his reflection in the mirror as his fingers were running along on his thigh. The Norwegian man is then seen leaning against the wall waiting for his turn, his eyes softly closed as he concentrated quietly.

"I think what has me more nervous about this contest the most is the fact that you aren't seen at all," remarked Lukas one last time before going onstage. "The only thing that they can judge you on is the source of music you yourself can produce: your _voice_. My voice…if they do not like my voice, then well…" the Norwegian man shook his head. "There is nothing I can do about that."

The stage was now tinted a soft, dark blue and much to the audience's surprise and excitement, there was a white piano positioned centre stage. The Judges themselves didn't even know that there was a piano there as it was moved in during the break.

Lukas entered the Performance Stage, radiating a rather refined and composed aura. He calmly made his way to the piano and positioned himself there. The audience, particularly the girls, leaned forward eagerly (he was quite handsome).

Meanwhile, Emil was actually peering from backstage at his brother. He felt both nervous and excited for his brother; this was what Lukas loved, and one of the things that gave him joy in life.

This was his big break after getting rejected so many times.

Lukas took off his hat, laid it beside him on the black, leather seat and checked if the mike worked. Once he found that it was functioning properly, he seated himself back in place and at once started playing. His eyes softly shut as his fingers flowed along the piano's ivory keys, producing a melody that flowed calmly and evenly just like his fingers, and it was on mezzo piano volume.

[Lukas]  
_I've been roaming around  
__Always looking down at all I see  
__Painted faces fill the places I can't reach_

Arthur arched one of his bushy eyebrows while Alfred lifted his head up from his rested hands. He tilted his head as he stared down at his button. Francine meanwhile leaned back in her seat as she shut her own eyes.

Lukas' voice was slightly deeper than what the audience was expecting, but it was sweet, soft and sincere, which made them cheer in delight nonetheless. It was a beautiful match to the piano melody he was producing.

"Oh wow," sighed Sadik. "Beautiful, huh?"

Arthur nodded, "Indeed…"

[Lukas]  
_You know that I could use somebody  
__You know that I could use somebody_

During the chorus, Lukas had held a few notes and alternated some with some smooth, few-stepped runs.

Sadik leaned forward in his seat, his hand close to his big, red button, his eyebrows furrowed behind his mask as he began to think more.

Arthur also leaned forward more on his seat, staring at his own shiny, red button.

[Lukas]  
_Someone like you, and all you know, and how you speak  
__Countless lovers under covers of the street_

This time, the Norwegian man ended softly on each line of the second verse, producing a gentle, hushed tone, which caused the audience to cheer again.

"Oh…_magnifíque_!" sighed Francine as she listened more closely.

"How charming…" Arthur agreed, also sighing beside her.

The French woman then laughed as she lowered her hand to press her gleaming, red button. Arthur's eyes shot open as he stared at the French woman who simply shrugged and responded, "I just _have _to know!"

She was definitely not disappointed when her chair turned around. In fact, she was very happy.

Lukas had his eyes opened at this point. Though he swelled with happiness inside, he kept his serious exterior. His lips slightly curved upward, though as he gazed at the French woman who picked him.

Francine simply sighed and put her hands over her chest. "_Trés beau_…" she marvelled.

This time, Arthur leaned forward, his hand just a centimetre or so away from his own button, as he bit his bottom lip, feeling rather irritated at himself.

Should he press it or not?

[Lukas]  
_You know that I could use somebody  
__You know that I could use somebody_

Emil sighed in relief as he clutched his own chest. A small smile forming on his lips; his big brother worked hard with his music – he deserved this moment.

Arthur then withdrew his hand from his button as he began rubbing at his temples, getting highly agitated now.

[Lukas]  
_Someone like you  
__Oh, oh…  
__Someone like you  
__Oh, oh…  
__Someone like you  
__Yeah…  
__Someone like you  
__Oh, oh…  
__Mmm…_

_Someone like you  
__Yeah, yeah_

Lukas placed more strength in his voice upon majority of the hook, however he easily blended it into a soft, audible falsetto during the third _'oh's'_ last one.

Sadik was leaning back in his chair, his hand on his button as he listened more closely to the performer. Alfred had actually arched his eyebrow a few times while Lukas performed the hook, but grinned at hearing the falsettos. Meanwhile, Arthur was still unsure. He groaned and looked at Francine who still appeared enraptured by the performer.

[Lukas]  
_I've been roaming around,  
__Always looking down at all I see…_

The song ended with Lukas singing a soft, low note to harmonize with the last piano key he pressed.

Francine's dreamy expression on her face broke into a wide beam as the chairs of the other three Judges turned around while the audience screamed, cheered and applauded the Norwegian man's performance.

Lukas immediately picked himself up from his spot behind the piano, grabbed his hat, took the mike out from its stand, bowed to the audience, and made his way to the front.

"Hey there, dude," smiled Alfred. "What's your name, man?"

"My name is Lukas, Lukas Thomassen," responded the Norwegian man politely. "I was originally from Oslo, Norway."

"Well, man…" Alfred scratched his head. "I didn't push my button, because, well…have to follow our instincts, you know?"

"That is perfectly alright," Lukas said with a nod.

"I'm not saying that you don't deserve to be here!" added Alfred quickly. "'Cause obviously, you totes deserve to! And besides, you have an awesome coach!" he then gestured to Francine now on his right. "A really sexy, beautiful Coach!"

A small smirk had crept onto Lukas' face, "I have no objections. No objections there."

"Yeah, congratulations, dude!" finished Alfred. "Congrats!"

"Thank you very much," said Lukas sincerely despite the serious expression his face pulled back into. "Thank you."

"The reason why I didn't push my button and turn around was…" Sadik paused, trying to find the right way to describe his reason. "Because…ah…I…was looking for balance. Right? In my team."

Lukas nodded, understanding where the Turkish man was coming from.

"That was the only reason I didn't turn around," concluded Sadik. "But congratulations to you, and good luck, stud."

"Thank you very much," the Norwegian man said again. "Thank you."

"Well," Francine then chose to speak. "Your performance hit my heart. There is no explanation other than it just going through my chair. _Mon dieu_," she sighed. "I just felt pain! I hope you didn't have to suffer a painful life!"

Lukas shook his head, "It's just…a bit strange. My little brother and I moved here from northern Europe not so long ago; three years ago, to be exact. Our family is back home…"

"_Je vois_," remarked Francine. "So in a way, you are doing it for them?"

"In a way…" Lukas said quietly. "Yes."

"Well, I am very excited to have you as part of my time, _monsieur _Lukas," smiled Francine.

"I am…very excited, too," the Norwegian man responded, feeling his own face go a bit hot from the remark and from looking at the French woman a bit too long. "Thank you very much."

Francine then picked herself up from her seat and gracefully walked over to the Norwegian man who also made his own way to her in a rather poised manner. The French woman leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tight, warm hug.

Lukas was honestly very embarrassed and felt really timid at being hugged by a beautiful woman. He hugged back, though he felt a little awkward doing so; hugs weren't exactly his _forte_. The Norwegian man nodded in the direction of the three other Judges as he left the Performance Stage.

"Bet you enjoyed that a lot," smirked Alfred. "Hot guy playing the piano and from _northern Europe_! Yeah! You chicks always dig European men!"

Francine gave a tinkling laugh, "Yes, he is handsome, _non_? His looks are a big plus, but really, his voice is just so lovely…his performance really moved me."

"I was so close…" groaned Arthur, who was actually quiet the duration that Lukas was there. "So close…"

"That is your loss, _mon petite lapin_," said Francine, feeling really triumphant. "What matters is that he is a part of _my _team."

"He can play the piano as well," marvelled Alfred. "He's like Rosaliese!"

In the Waiting Room, Dracul, who had Mr Puffin perched on his shoulder, saw Lukas enter and instantly congratulated him on his success, "You did it! Your performance was so beautiful!"

Lukas bowed his head, "Thank you."

"Your brother's up next, right?"

The Norwegian man nodded as he turned his attention to the screen that displayed the Performance Stage and all four chairs now turning around back into position. "Yes, and I wish my little brother all the best of luck," he said softly.

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

Backstage, nerves were already having a great effect on Emil.

The poor Icelandic boy found that his knees were shaking when he tried to stand up, and when he was tuning his guitar, his own hands were trembling like mad.

He swallowed the lump that gathered in his throat and clutched at his stomach, starting to feel sick since he saw that the crowd he was going to perform his audition to was a very large one that surrounded him.

"I don't know if I can do this…" Emil said, his voice quivering. "I really don't know if I will get picked or not…" he then remembered watching his brother perform earlier and how calm and composed he was. The Icelandic boy licked his lips and sighed, "How the heck was he so calm during that?!" he then visibly sagged when he became aware that he should head onstage now.

His footsteps echoed throughout the Performance Stage as he made his way to the mike, which was now placed on the stand. The stage was tinted a lovely blue-green as the Icelandic boy felt really small at having the hundreds of pairs of eyes that were observing his every movement, judging him quickly.

However, what he wasn't aware of was the excitement the audience had – not only was this new singer cute, but he appeared quite princely. And he was holding a guitar, too.

Emil positioned himself close to the mike, adjusted the stand to his height and checked one last time to see if his guitar was working properly and in tune. He gave a sigh as the musicians nodded in his direction since he was the one leading them in.

'_Well…here goes nothing,'_ the Icelandic boy thought to himself. He spread his legs slightly apart, feeling uncomfortable, and began strumming onto his guitar in soft, even chords. Soon after, an electric guitar joined in, plucked simply as it accompanied Emil's acoustic.

[Emil]

_White lips, pale face_

_Breathing in snowflakes_

_Burned lungs, sour taste_

Arthur arched his eyebrow and nodded in approval at the performer's choice of song. Sadik had also perked his head up, now alert.

Some members of the audience hooted and cat-called, and soon, began clapping in rhythm to the Icelandic boy and his performance.

Emil honestly felt taken aback at the reaction he was receiving from his performance so far, and felt his face flush, but nonetheless, continued on. Continuing in his slightly stronger (yet still soft), alto voice and with his violet eyes closed.

[Emil]  
_Light's gone, day's end  
__Struggling to pay rent  
__Long nights, strange men_

"Is he…is he playing the guitar?" Arthur wondered as he glanced at Sadik who shrugged and leaned back in his chair, eyes now closed from behind his mask.

Alfred swayed his head, also liking the performer's choice of song and closed his own eyes to concentrate. Francine quirked an eyebrow as she lay back in her chair to listen more closely to the voice produced forth.

[Emil]  
_But they say she's in the class A team  
__Stuck in her daydream, been this way since eighteen  
__But lately her face seems slowly sinking, wasting…_

"Come on…" Lukas muttered as he watched his little brother perform in the Waiting Room. Dracul patted the Norwegian's shoulder, relaxing him a little bit.

But only just a little bit.

"Come on…"

Sadik had leaned forward with his hand outstretched and on his button; just one little nudge with enough force would enable it to be pushed.

Likewise, Arthur's hand was now a fist, and it was just close to the red button, too.

A bass began to strum; it was very soft and barely audible, but it was there nonetheless, and it provided as a smooth layout to a few gaps where the electric guitar and acoustic didn't fill.

[Emil]  
_Crumbling like pastries and they scream,  
_"_The worst things in life come free to us."  
__A__nd we're just under the upper-hand  
__Going mad for a couple grams  
__She don't wanna go outside tonight  
__And in a pipe, she flies to the mother land  
__And sells love to another man  
__It's too cold outside  
__For angels to fly_

_For angels to fly…_

"Oh!" called Alfred after hearing the performer's slight run done on the last word of the third last line and the two _'fly's'_.

Francine licked her lips as she glanced down at her button, hands not close to it as she began thinking. Sadik didn't move his hand yet as he still pondered while Arthur then placed his fist underneath his chin as he lowered his head and shut his eyes to concentrate.

Emil felt much better than before, feeling more used to the stage now, and continued to strum, his face at ease as a simple, soft piano joined in, providing as a beat and joining his guitar. The bass became louder as well, now wanting to be heard.

[Emil]  
_Ripped gloves, raincoat  
__Trying to swim to stay afloat  
__Dry house, wet clothes_

_Loose change, bank notes  
__Weary eyed, dry throat  
__Call girl, no phone_

Sadik rubbed at his stubbled chin, his hand still not moving from where it was, which was getting more members of the audience on edge.

Alfred was wriggling restlessly in his own chair, tongue poking out in a comical manner as he began to wonder if he should press his own button and see who the person was.

Francine simply wondered if anyone else was going to press their button, and if they did; would the performer be worth the fight. She also wondered if she needed a voice like this in her team.

Arthur seemed torn just like the previous audition with Lukas; he didn't know whether or not to press his button, get it over and done with, and take a look. The British man looked to his left and saw that Sadik looked to be entranced, but contemplating. He then decided that if Sadik pushed his button before the song's final hook, then he would let him have him.

[Emil]  
_But they say she's in the class A team  
__Stuck in her daydream, been this way since eighteen  
__But lately her face seems slowly sinking, wasting  
__Crumbling like pastries and they scream,  
_"_The worst things in life come free to us."  
_'_Cause we're just under the upper-hand  
__Going mad for a couple grams  
__She don't wanna go outside tonight  
__And in a pipe, she flies to the mother land  
__And sells love to another man  
__It's too cold outside_

Noticing that nobody was picking him yet, Emil was starting to feel nervous, even after he made his voice stronger during various parts of the chorus. He felt his stomach drop and his heart sink, but continued on, trying hard to push those horrible feelings down, telling himself that it was okay if nobody picked him.

Instead, he decided to make his voice much gentler and softer; much like how Lukas usually sang. He shook his head to get his bangs out of his face and continued.

[Emil]  
_For angels to fly_

_An angel will die covered in white  
__With closed eyes and hoping for a better life  
__This time, we'll fade out tonight  
__Straight down the line_

"Don't give up!" Dracul piped up cheerily. "He can do it!"

"Come on…" Lukas was now seething slightly. "Press it…one of you, please. Just press it…"

An instrumental played for a little while where Emil had played around on his guitar a bit, more so out of habit than for showing off; strumming a few chords that harmonised with the piano rather than going along with it. This caused the audience to cheer and cry in delight towards the Icelandic boy.

Once the final chorus came, Emil made his voice even softer, but still a bit strong as only his guitar and the piano were heard. Icelandic boy went back to the normal chords as he sang.

The bass joined in at the third line.

[Emil]  
_But they say she's in the class A team  
__Stuck in her daydream, been this way since eighteen  
__But lately her face seems slowly sinking, wasting  
__Crumbling like pastries and they scream,  
_"_The worst things in life come free to us."_

Suddenly, the instruments stopped for a moment and only played in a few beats as Emil's voice stood out more.

[Emil]  
_And we're all under the upper-hand  
__Going mad for a couple grams  
__We don't wanna go outside tonight_

The piano then started playing with the bass while Emil just strummed on every second bar or so. The Icelandic boy shut his eyes as he shook his head during the second last word on the second last line, producing a stronger sound.

[Emil]  
_And in a pipe, we fly to the mother land  
__And sell love to another man  
__It's too cold outside  
__For angels to fly_

All the instruments picked up and played normally again. Emil made his voice stronger and for that, closed his eyes as he moved his head up to let the note out in a more powerful manner.

Sadik as close to standing up in his seat; he was now crouching in his chair as his hand was still close to the button.

[Emil]  
_For angels to fly  
__For angels to fly_

The sound of a button being pressed was heard and everyone screamed and cheered in delight upon seeing Sadik's chair glow white as it turned around. The Turkish man stood up straighter and he grinned upon seeing the Icelandic boy performing.

Emil himself was shocked to see that someone had actually turned around for him. And for that, he couldn't help the big smile that spread across his face as he held the notes on the last words of each line.

Alfred, Francine and Arthur had all turned abruptly upon seeing Sadik's chair turn around and began to wonder whether they should press it or not.

"_Å, herregud_," breathed Lukas as he sighed in relief that his little brother was finally picked. Dracul laughed as he patted the Norwegian man's back, "Told ya so!"

[Emil]  
_For angels to fly  
__To fly_

_Or angels to die…_

The song ended with Emil's voice, a single guitar chord (from his guitar) and a piano chord ending in unison. When his performance was over, Emil breathed a sigh in relief as he clutched at his chest with one hand, and with his guitar with the other. The audience erupted into cheers, whoops and screams in delight as they applauded the Icelandic boy's performance.

Sadik was still standing in his spot, clapping with his hands high up in the air as the other Judges' chairs turned around.

"Thank you so much," Emil breathed as he bowed in Sadik's direction.

"What is your name?" inquired Francine.

"My name is Emil Thomassen," replied the Icelandic boy. "I am seventeen years old."

"You have a _beautiful _voice, _mon cher_," smiled Francine.

"T-thank you," Emil was able to stammer out, feeling his face glow red from getting a compliment from a woman.

"I am now kicking myself for not hitting that button," sighed Francine as she gazed down at the said, red button. "But, congratulations!"

"What I love is that I can hear your inner voice," Arthur spoke up. "It's a great thing to be able to sing once you tap into that. By the way, your last name is…Thomassen, correct?"

"Y-Yes," Emil nodded. "That's right."

"You don't have a brother, do you?"

"Actually," Emil rubbed the side of his head. "He auditioned before me."

Hearing that, the audience gave a loud, interested, _'Oohh!'_ while the four Judges reacted accordingly; Sadik arched both eyebrows in surprise, Arthur nodded his head while he muttered, "I knew it." Alfred's jaw dropped to the floor as he exclaimed, "No way! That's sick!" while Francine's smile widened, "_Monsieur _Lukas is your brother?"

"Yes, my older one," Emil responded. "He's twenty-four this year."

"That is totes cool!" shouted Alfred. "I'd totally love a sibling to jam with!"

"Your brother is actually a part of my team," beamed Francine. As she looked closely, she then raised her head, "Upon closer inspection, I can definitely see some family resemblance between you two."

"Really?" questioned Emil, doubtful. "We don't even look the same…"

"Anyway, just to finish what I was saying before; your performance was just splendid, dove," said Arthur. "Really, it truly was; and on guitar, too. I am glad you're a part of this old chap's team," he motioned to Sadik. "Really, congratulations."

"Thank you," Emil said with a nod.

"_Wow_," Sadik said, a small smile forming on his own face as he shook his head. "_Wow_, wow, wow, wow, _wow_." This warranted a laugh from members of the audience and Francine. "What particularly impressed me when I listened to you," continued Sadik. "Is that you have…the _best _kind of voice. Really, you can sing anything."

Emil felt his face grow really red by now; that was a big compliment and honestly, he wasn't sure if he deserved it. "R-really?" he asked, feeling quite shy.

Sadik nodded, "And that's the kind of voice that gets me out of bed in the morning. You are an emotional human being, I am all _about _emotion. Welcome to HetaVoice."

"Thank you so much," replied Emil. "I cannot wait."

And with that, Sadik got up from his seat to make his way to the Icelandic boy who also carefully made his way over to the Turkish man. Despite holding a guitar, Sadik leaned over and gave a hug to the Icelandic boy, who flushed furiously at the close contact, but returned it, nonetheless.

"Thank you so much again," said Emil, still not believing if this was real. "You're really tall…"

"You're welcome," laughed Sadik. "You were awesome. I _am _pretty tall, but you know what? By the time this is all over; you'll be taller than me."

Emil couldn't help the chuckle escaping from his lips as he nodded and allowed Sadik to raise his arm like what the Turkish man did with his other chosen contestants as the audience continued to whistle, cheer and stamp their feet while applauding.

When the Icelandic boy came into the Waiting Room, he saw his older brother make his way towards him and at once, wrapped his arms around him. Emil turned red again, feeling his face go on fire, but decided to return it.

"You did very well," praised Lukas with a small smile spreading on his face. "I'm very proud of you."

"Honestly," Emil let out an exhale. "I still can't believe it…"

"You were _exceptional_," insisted Lukas sincerely.

Emil licked his lips as he nodded, "Okay…thank you, Lukas…"

"Big brother."

"Huh?"

Lukas shrugged, "You forgot to call me _'big brother'_."

Emil flushed, looking really embarrassed as he said in a furious whisper, "Never!" and he made a beeline for it behind the wall.

However, he peeped over it, disappeared behind it, then appeared again, his back towards them.

"Big brother…" he said in a quiet voice. He then disappeared from behind the wall, and next thing Dracul knew, he saw the Icelandic boy flash a thumbs-down.

Lukas simply looked amused.

[**THIS IS HETAVOICE!**]

"Right-o!" exclaimed Dracul as he smoothed out his black trench coat. "Well, let's move on to our final audition for today!"

The camera then goes into a shot showing two Indians walking towards the HetaVoice Building. A young man and a young lady.

The one auditioning was the girl, whose black hair was rather wavy at some points, and a bit curly as well. She had dark brown eyes, and was wearing a sapphire blue sari Madisar style where the sari was neatly wrapped around the waist, with the one end of it on the right side, while the rest of the sari on the left. She was also wearing beautiful jewellery; dangling earrings and two earrings with sparkling gems.

The man accompanying her had his black hair combed back and had a _tilaka _on his forehead. He was wearing a dark suit with a pale coloured shirt and tied. He was also sporting a pair of dark gloves, as well as having a fedora hat perched on his head.

"My name is Jaimathi," the Indian girl said, smiling pearly whites when Dracul interviewed her. "I am twenty years old, and I am here to pursue my dream!"

She is seen in the Building next, having a conversation with her brother in their own native tongue. It looked nice at first, where the young man then patted his sister's shoulder, then gave a smile as he said something rapidly. Next, Jaimathi starts laughing and the pair look to be in fine spirits.

"Our parents…were actually okay with Jaimathi's decision of pursuing music," said Ramesh, Jaimathi's older brother.

"Could be because you are a successful doctor," smiled Jaimathi as she nudged her brother.

Ramesh chuckled, "Now, cut that out! But, really, whenever relatives or family friends come over and say the usual, _'My son is a lawyer, my daughter's doing business…'_ that kind of talk, they then ask, _'What does your daughter do?'_ and well, parents simply reply, _'She does music. And we're happy with it.'_"

Jaimathi is then seen backstage in the Preparation Room fixing her hair and sari a little as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She put her hands on her hips as she gave a deep breath.

"Sometimes I wonder if my choice of choosing music over medicine was correct," wondered the Indian girl. "I could've done it, but I love music so much – it's my life, and I can't do anything without it. Well, we'll see upon my audition. I _will_ make my parents proud."

She then daintily walked onto the Performance Stage with the mike in hand, her footsteps rather soft since she was wearing slippers. The stage was also now painted with bright red lights, which provided a lovely contrast to her figure.

"Dude, you can barely hear their footsteps," said Alfred anxiously. "Like, seriously, man!"

"Shhh," Arthur shushed him. "Let them start…"

Alfred pouted while Sadik gave a chuckle as he intertwined his hands in his lap. Francine also giggled as she leaned back in her own chair and relaxed.

An electric guitar was heard making blaring noises like a soft, long alarm while the drumbeat produced to accompany it was heavy sounding and thumping in a pattern similar to that of a heart's pulse. When Jaimathi began singing, a soft bass began escorting her voice.

[Jaimathi]  
_She, she ain't real  
__She ain't gonna be able to love you like I will  
__She is a stranger  
__You and I have history or don't you remember?  
__Sure, she's got it all_

_But baby, is that really what you want?_

Jaimathi's voice was quite unexpected – it was more unique and it was soft and husky at some points, but other points radiated a load of strength.

The audience cheered as they leaned closer, quite interested at hearing such a unique voice.

The instruments momentarily died down, but on the chorus, the drumbeat picked up with more snares and this time, a more loud and prominent bass was heard giving loud chords.

Arthur shifted his eyebrows, thoroughly intrigued by this voice. Alfred looked highly unsure as did Francine. Sadik turned to face the British man who was rubbing at his chin as he began to think more.

Sadik smiled at him, "This one sounds interesting. You gonna push your button?"

This warranted a groan of frustration as the British man rubbed at his temples yet again, still wondering.

[Jaimathi]  
_Come on…_

_Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds  
__You made a fool out of you  
__And boy, she's bringing you down,  
__She made your heart melt  
__But you're cold to the core_

_Now rumour has it she ain't got your love anymore_

_Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour…  
__Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it, yeah_

_Rumour…_

Shaking his head, Arthur slammed his hand down on the button and gave a sigh of relief, finally succumbing to his urge. When he came face-to-face with the performer, he gave a smile as the audience screamed and cheered in glee.

Jaimathi felt comfortable onstage; it was like home. She raised her arm as she sang, making delicate, soft steps around the stage as she squeezed her eyes shut and sang the chorus and pre-chorus, applying more force.

Alfred was nodding at his head, getting used to the voice and Francine shut her eyes as she swayed her head slightly.

The second verse was much stronger than the first one, but still maintained a softness about it, as if holding back. The bass joined in, strumming more loudly, which was unusual, since most songs only had the bass as back up, but it was blended well, and made an excellent accompaniment with the Indian girl's voice.

[Jaimathi]  
_She is half your age  
__But I'm guessing that's the reason that you stayed  
__I heard you've been missing me  
__You've been telling people things you shouldn't be  
__Like when we creep out and she ain't around  
__Haven't you heard the rumours?_

_Oh, bless your soul; you've got your head in the clouds  
__You made a fool out of me  
__Boy, you're bringing me down  
__You made my heart melt, I'm cold to the core_

_Now rumour has it I'm the one you're leaving her for_

Jaimathi was ecstatic upon seeing that someone had picked her. And it was Arthur Kirkland out of all of them, too.

In the Waiting Room, Ramesh rejoiced and clapped at seeing his little sister being picked a decent way into the song. Dracul grinned as he patted the Indian man's shoulder. Likewise, Ramesh actually patted the Romanian man's shoulder back.

Sadik was half surprised and half amused that the British man pushed his red button, but shrugged and began contemplating on whether or not he should turn around. Alfred looked shocked while Francine arched an elegant eyebrow.

Jaimathi continued to perform with a hand on her hip as she gave a determined and rather sassy look to match the song's context, feeling quite in-character with the persona of the song.

[Jaimathi]  
_Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it_

_Rumour…_

Maybe because she was more in-character, but Jaimathi felt the singing come along more easily as she began clapping in rhythm to the beat, which was no easy feat as she was still holding the mike to her mouth.

Suddenly, the sound of another button was heard, and the crowd was whooping in delight at seeing Alfred's chair turn around.

The American man grinned when he saw the Indian girl and he nodded his head to the beat as he leaned more forward in his seat.

Arthur was _not _impressed.

The song suddenly slowed down to the hook where all the instruments, except Jaimathi's voice now died down. A piano was then added, playing a more grim and sober sound. The Indian girl sang in a slightly higher, softer and falsetto voice.

[Jaimathi]  
_All of these words whispered in my ear  
__Tell a story that I cannot bear to hear  
__Just 'cause I said it, doesn't mean that I meant it  
__People say crazy things  
__Just 'cause I said it, don't mean that I meant it_

_Just 'cause you heard it…_

The piano made a shimmering roll and there was a momentary pause for only one second after the hook. Straight after, the heavy, steady and strong drumbeat was heard again. After when Jaimathi sang the first line, the guitar and bass joined back in. The Indian girl picked up the strength again.

In the Waiting Room, Ramesh raised his fist high up in the air and then whistled with the same hand he rose up. Dracul raised his own fist, cheering.

[Jaimathi]  
_Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it,  
__Rumour has it, yeah_

_Rumour has it,  
__Rumour has it  
__Rumour has it, yeah  
__Rumour has it_

_Rumour has it he's the one I'm leaving you for…_

Unlike the chorus, the last line was sang more softly and ended by itself as the instruments had stopped before it.

Once her performance was over, the audience applauded and screamed at the top of their lungs as they cheered.

"Yeah!" called Alfred with a big grin on his face as he applauded. Arthur stood up from his seat to applaud her.

"Thank you," smiled Jaimathi.

Francine and Sadik were applauding in their own chairs, still seated, as they both turned around by themselves as they didn't push their big, shiny, red buttons.

"Attention, everyone in the house!" announced Alfred. "We are looking at a _star _up there! What's your name, dudette?"

The audience's calling dropped a bit so the Indian girl could speak, "Jaimathi."

"Well, Jaimathi, I dunno if you noticed, but you see this big, shiny white light on my podium?" he gestured to the shining, white podium where his button was at the top. "It means that I really, _really _like you a lot."

Various members of the audience giggled as Jaimathi nodded. Alfred continued, "And, I would totally like you to be in my team, because you don't sound like anybody else I've heard of before. And that's important to me!"

"Thank you," said Jaimathi earnestly, holding the mike with both her hands.

"Now Artie's gonna lay a load of crap on you," sighed Alfred as he beckoned to the British man who was two seats away. "Here you go!"

The audience and Jaimathi as well as Francine chuckled in mirth while Arthur visibly bristled and gave the American man the two fingers, palm facing away. He then spoke up, "Well, love, you don't sound like anyone else I've ever heard, which is number one…" he picked one of his left fingers with his right hand for emphasis. "Which is very difficult…"

"I said that already, dude!" Alfred drawled lazily.

Jaimathi giggled at the banter between the two blonde men and the audience chuckled as well.

Arthur glared at the American man for interrupting, "I also pushed my button _long _before you did, you uncouth git!"

Sadik shrugged as the audience gave a loud, _'oooh!'_, "He's got you there, Alfie."

"When I first heard you singing, I just knew it," resumed Arthur. "When I turned around, I saw you just laying down this bout of confidence, which was _amazing_. It was so confident; no nerves whatsoever! You…you just did exceptionally in everything you were doing, and I would…_really _be thrilled to have you in my team, because I quite loved you _and _your performance, despite not liking the original artist."

Jaimathi couldn't help but smile at the British man's words as the audience applauded and cheered them, too.

"So you have the two of us dudes out here," began Alfred.

"_Let_ her decide," cut in Arthur sharply.

Alfred rolled his eyes as he shrugged, "So, who's it gonna be? Who do you want?"

"Uh, okay…uh…" Jaimathi licked her lips, feeling nervous only now as she gazed at the two blonde men who turned around. The lights were becoming hot as they shone over her and the audience's shouts, calls and screaming then reached her ears, stunning her for a moment.

After a little while of thought, the Indian girl then spoke up, "Okay. I think I'm gonna go with Arthur."

The audience cheered as the British man sighed in relief, his face breaking into a smile on his usually scowling face. He raised a fist in triumph as he got up and made his way to the Indian girl.

Alfred cursed as he banged his fists down his podium, "Dang it!"

Arthur came forward, his face flushed as he embraced Jaimathi, who smiled widely as she wrapped her own arms around him.

"I can't wait to work with you," chirped Jaimathi.

"Same here, love," Arthur responded, smile still on his face.

Jaimathi waved goodbye to all the other Judges as she made her way to the Waiting Room where her brother was waiting eagerly for her with open arms. She gave an excited squeal as she was stomping her feet on the spot as Ramesh ran up to her and embraced her tightly.

Dracul felt warm as he watched the two siblings hug tightly and speak their tongue rapidly. He then saw Ramesh take out a rather new and sleek phone and dial a number on speed dial.

The numbed picked up, and they could all hear an older woman's voice speak, "Hello?"

Jaimathi spoke rapidly, and before Dracul knew it, he could hear a loud scream of delight coming from the other end of the line. It was so loud, that the Romanian man could hear some slight cracking.

"Your mom's really psyched, huh?" Dracul asked, smiling fangs at Ramesh.

Ramesh laughed, "Yes, she is. I am, too."

The next shot shows both Jaimathi and Ramesh leaving arms over each other's shoulders as they were laughing together and speaking rapidly in, what Dracul thought, was Hindi.

"I can't wait to start!" breathed Jaimathi in her last interview. "Really, I'm so excited! I will do my very best! I'll make my parents and my brother proud!"

Dracul waved goodbye to the two Indian siblings and once they left, gave his attention back to the camera, "And there you go, folks! Thus ends the third and _second last _day of our Blind Auditions! I'm your host, Dracul Dalca, and I hope you enjoyed!"

…

…

…

"Next time, on HetaVoice," spoke up Dracul's voice-over. "Our fourth and _last _day ever to hold the Blind Auditions! Our contestants this time have to _thoroughly _impress our four Judges in order to gain a spot in the few that still remain! Because of this, our Judges will be harder to impress than _ever_!"

"Honestly, _mon cher_," Francine sighs in a future shot as she rubbed her head. "I feel that I did not need to have you in part of my team."

"However, others will _shine _as the spots progressively fill up!" continued Dracul's voice over.

"That was totes awesome, dudette!' Alfred cheered in delight as he raised his fists up. "Really! That was _awesome_!"

"I'm so lucky to have you as part of my team," smiled Sadik in another shot while Arthur and Alfred look really regretful for not pushing their own buttons in time. "You are just like what the song is titled…"

"And stay tuned for what comes next _after _the Blind Auditions phase is over!" announced Dracul, the camera then showing a zoom-out far shot of him standing at the centre of the Performance Stage as he grins fangs at the camera and gave a salute, "Because with this very next stage, our contestants that make it through will _have _to keep on their toes. Now, again, this is Dracul Dalca, closing off HetaVoice. Have a nice day, everybody!"

**[THIS IS HETAVOICE!]**

* * *

_And the third day of the Blind Auditions go to a close. The final day of the Blind Auditions is already being written as you read this - it's still only about fifteen pages in, but I'm getting there. :) I also apologize if I have gotten rusty - I'm still busy and honestly...I'd prefer writing over work, but alas, life is sometimes unfair...TTnTT _

_Anyway, a list of who's who here:_

Daniel Hunyadi [Nyo!Hungary]  
Uncle Mags [Magyar]  
Alice [Nyo!Chibitalia]  
Jack Cullingham [Australia]  
Zoey [Wy]  
Leigh [New Zealand]  
Kristine Olofsdotter [Nyo!Sweden]  
Mathias [Denmark]  
Tina [Nyo!Finland]  
Penny [Nyo!Sealand]  
Jang Chen Fai [Nyo!Taiwan]  
Lin [Nyo!Macau]  
Im Soo Jin [Nyo!South Korea]  
Kasem Chao [Thailand]  
Quan [Nyo!Vietnam]  
Himant [Cyprus]  
Lukas Thomassen [Norway]  
Emil Thomassen [Iceland]  
Jaimathi [Nyo!India]  
Ramesh [India]

_Songs sung:  
_Daniel Hunyadi = Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes (Vers. by Jamar Rogers)  
Jack Cullingham = Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts (Vers. by Jeff Jenkins)  
Kristine Olofsdotter = I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry (Vers. by Frenchie Davis)  
Jang Chen Fai = Sara Smile by Hall & Oates (Vers. by Dez Duron)  
Kasem Chao = A Song For You by Michael Buble (Vers. by Jesse Campbell)  
Lukas Thomassen = Use Somebody by Kings of Leon (Vers. by Adam Hoek)  
Emil Thomassen = The A Team by Ed Sheeran (Vers. by Mitchell Thompson)  
Jaimathi = Rumour Has It by Adele (Vers. by Mathai)

_I wonder, just out of interest - how many of you have actually searched up the songs the contestants auditioned? Yes, I had to add Cyprus in - he's the cameraman, and also Dracul's partner in a way since he accompanies him a lot. XD_

_Teams so far:_

Team Sadik: Agatha Clarkland, Dmitri Yektarina, Im Yong Soo, Tino Väinämöinen, Daniel Hunyadi, Jang Chen Fai, Emil Thomassen. [Total = 7/8]

Team Arthur: Lovino Vargas, Mitchell Mancham, Emma van Stein, Lien Nguyen, Ulrika Koehler, Jaimathi. [Total = 6/8]

Team Francine: Ling Chun-Yan, Madeleine Williams, Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo, Felicia Valentino, Kristine Olofsdotter, Lukas Thomassen. [Total = 6/8]

Team Alfred: Erika Zwingli, Toris Laurinaitis, Julchen "Julia" Weillschmidt, Jack Cullingham, Kasem Chao. [Total = 5/8]

_The next chapter will be up by Sunday, which will be the latest day it should be uploaded. Anyway, again I apologize for being a real bastard._

_Thoughts and opinions? I hope you have a pleasant day._

_Sincerely,  
HetaWriter/HetaReader_


	5. Warning: Rant Ahead

_**WARNING:** Bit of a rant up ahead, because I'm trying to vent out myself at the rules while trying to compose myself.  
_

_Well shit...the first review I received about this story', hoping for it to make a comeback made me really eager...and it turned out to be a warning that admins may delete my story at any minute..._

_So, I was given the alternative to either take off song lyrics, or post this story on another site._

_Obviously, I choose the second option._

_Without the song lyrics, the story will not only be shorter, but more dull. The point of adding song lyrics was also to help me write descriptions of what's happening and to paint a picture by adding a bit of life into the piece. The whole story was even just a song competition fic, so obviously, lyrics would be used most of the time._

_I'm not telling anyone to go chew out on anyone; hence the point of this (somewhat?) rant, because I'd rather get angry at the rules than at the person._

_I think why I'm so butt-hurt really was because of how much time I spent making this chapter and how much effort I put in it to make it perfect - each chapter in MS Word (excluding the first one) are all at least **55 pages**. Even with my typing speed (which, is above average), it takes me 7-8 hours to properly get the chapter because I want it to be descriptive._

_Even when I credit the songs and their owners at the end, I __still have to take this down?_

_Well, fuck..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Yes, I am aware that I ranted quite a bit, and well...I know this is highly immature of me, but I honestly can't help it; I'm just that pissed off right now, because I had so much going for this fic now - I finally found the inspiration to write it, and now I'm just told I had to take off one of the main components of it, or to place it somewhere else. So, I must be whining like a spoiled child, no doubt._

_Therefore, I'm going to submit any more HetaVoice chapters on another site. _

_I would however, like to thank everyone who's actually faved, followed, reviewed and even just simply read the story - this story, besides Maple Version: Fly High, is one of my "masterpieces" in my opinion._

_I would also like to give a special thanks to **usualsuspects **for actually warning me about it before an admin saw it._

_If anyone's still interested in following this story, just go to my DeviantArt account - Heta-tan. I also apologize if I've pissed off anyone by my rant here, but I just wanted to vent, really._

_And honestly, I'm actually feeling better typing out how I'm feeling at the moment._

_Hopefully one day, the rules can just loosen up (like the whole drama with the past rated M incident), and I may be able to post this story again..._

_Sincerely,  
HetaWriter/HetaReader_


End file.
